Durability is one of the key factors that determine the commercial viability of a fuel cell. A vehicle fuel cell, for example, needs to last at least 5,000 hours. Such a high durability requirement challenges the materials under consideration for a fuel cell. Particularly, the ion conductive membrane is known to degrade due to reaction with reactive species such as radicals formed as a side product during normal fuel cell operation. To remediate this problem and extend the life of the ion conductive membrane, additives and coatings have been proposed to treat the membrane. The additives and coatings, however, may interfere with the electrochemical processes in a fuel cell and thus compromise the performance of the ion conductive membrane in addition to adding cost. Many of the additives can adversely affect the activity of the critical catalyst used in a fuel cell. There is thus a need to improve fuel cell durability without affecting the normal electrochemical process or performance at a minimal cost.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds