Open Competition 3 - Chemistry and Materials

Enhancing the Performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

Sponsor: Cabot Superior MicroPowders

• Project Performance Period: 5/1/2004 - 5/31/2007
• Total project (est.): $3,944,469.00
• Requested ATP funds: $2,000,000.00

Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells are a promising source of clean power for automobiles, if fuel cell hardware and operating costs can be reduced substantially. One approach is to boost the low utilization efficiency of the platinum catalysts used to promote oxygen reduction reactions in fuel cells, both cutting costs and improving performance. Cabot Superior MicroPowders plans a three-year project to develop and test a new family of surface-modified carbon support materials for electrocatalysts that will double the power density of PEM fuel cell stacks (or membrane electrode assemblies). The project will build on the company's patented process for bonding chemical groups with various functional properties to the carbon surface. Chemical groups will be selected that will more than double the efficiency of platinum use and resolve other problems, including efficiency losses associated with gas, liquid, and ionic transport within the cells as well as flooding of the cathode. Cabot will devise a new approach to reengineer the porous structure of the catalyst layers to markedly improve the effectiveness of platinum, to tailor the hydrophobicity for reducing mass transport losses, and to mitigate cathode flooding. Technical challenges will include achieving the proper balance of hydrophobic properties of the membrane electrode assembly and improving electronic/protonic conductivity. The ATP funding will accelerate the research and could enable the commercial use of low-cost, high-performance PEM fuel cells in automobiles by 2010. If successful, the project will give the United States an edge over foreign competitors in potentially lucrative fuel cell technology and hasten the shift to a hydrogen-based economy, reducing U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil while reducing emissions and improving air quality. In addition, the new technology also could be applied to improve other devices, such as nanocomposite membranes, batteries, and supercapacitors.

For project information:

James Caruso, (505) 342-1492
james_caruso@cabot-corp.com

ATP Project Manager

H. Felix Wu, (301) 975-4685
felix.wu@nist.gov