Effects of Supports BET Surface Areas on Membrane Electrode Assembly Performance at High Current Loads

In this work, we investigated the influence of catalyst supports, particularly Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET) surface area support materials, on membrane electrode assembly (MEA) performance. Keeping anode layer (CL), membrane, Pt loading, operating condition unchanged, prepared cathode CLs using catalysts identical content (30 wt% Pt) which were supported carbon black materials having different BET areas. We observed optimum cell voltage at high current load when layers from carbons medium-BET area. High-BET although beneficial low density as well low-BET led to increased losses due mass transport limitations can be explained by electrochemically active available water management in layer.