Korean Chemical Engineering Research

The Korean Institute of Chemical Engineers (한국화학공학회)
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Chemical Degradation of e-PTFE Support Used in PEMFC after Fenton Reaction

고분자연료전지에 사용되는 e-PTFE 지지체의 펜톤반응 후 화학적 열화

  • Received : 2020.04.28
  • Accepted : 2020.07.23
  • Published : 2020.11.01
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Abstract

The support of the PEMFC membrane plays a key role in improving mechanical durability. The e-PTFE used as a support is chemically stable, so electro-chemical degradation in the PEMFC driving process has been rarely studied. In this study, we investigated whether e-PTFE is chemically stable to radicals and hydrogen peroxide during Fenton reaction. After the Fenton reaction, the main chain of e-PTFE broke, resulting in a change in the chemical structure and morphology of the support, resulting in a decrease in tensile strength. The results of this study showed that electrochemical degradation of the membrane ionomer in the PEMFC process occurs inside the membrane by radicals and hydrogen peroxide, so that electrochemical degradation may also occur at the e-PTFE support in the cell.

고분자연료전지(PEMFC) 고분자막의 지지체는 기계적 내구성 향상에 핵심적인 역할을 한다. 지지체로 사용하는 e-PTFE는 화학적으로 안정하여 PEMFC 구동과정에서 전기화학적인 열화에 대해서는 거의 연구되지 않았다. 본 연구에서는 e-PTFE가 Fenton 반응과정에서 발생한 라디칼과 과산화수소에 화학적으로 안정한지 검토하였다. Fenton 반응 과정에서 e-PTFE의 주사슬이 끊어져 지지체의 화학적 구조와 형태 변화가 발생하였고, 그에 따라 인장 강도가 감소하였다. 실제 PEMFC 구동과정에서 고분자막 이오노머의 전기화학적 열화는 라디칼과 과산화수소에 의해서 고분자막 내부에서 발생하므로, e-PTFE 지지체의 셀 내에서 전기화학적 열화도 발생할 수 있음을 본 연구 결과가 보였다.

Keywords

References

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