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  4. Simulating Morphology and Degradation of PEMFC Cathode Catalyst Layers with Porous Carbon Supports
 
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2025
Conference Paper
Title

Simulating Morphology and Degradation of PEMFC Cathode Catalyst Layers with Porous Carbon Supports

Abstract
We present coupled physical models for the morphology and degradation of the PEMFC cathode catalyst layer (CCL). The morphology model (MM) considers pore, particle and ionomer distributions and resulting interfaces on the nanoscale, creating a unique mathematical representation of each material at begin of test [1]. In particular, the MM discriminates between Pt catalyst particles on the support surface and inside primary pores of the support and their respective connection to the proton-conducting phase by means of ionomer or water. A central hypothesis to our work is that the amount and size of Pt inside primary pores influences capillary condensation of water vapor. At a given relative humidity (RH), more or larger interior Pt particles are considered to reduce the effective pore size and facilitate capillary condensation as illustrated in Figure 1. Simulations are validated against Pt utilization data in terms of electrochemically active catalyst surface area (ECSA) at varying RH. These measurements are particularly informative as they are sensitive to a variety of CCL properties such as support porosity, catalyst and ionomer loading [2, 3]. In a next step, the MM is coupled to a degradation model (DM) to simulate the evolution of the CCL morphology and associated catalyst utilization in the course of potential-induced ageing. Simulations are validated on data for five different materials which were each aged at three different RH settings, totalling to 15 samples and an overall ageing time of 750 h. The samples were manufactured and characterized in-house and are part of a larger data set which is available for public use [4]. With the coupled MM and DM, the measured ECSA versus RH at begin and end of test can be reproduced. The model allows for in-depth theoretical analysis of the impact of the material composition and the RH applied during ageing on the observed catalyst utilization. Particularly, the model helps identify the position of the characteristic increase in ECSA versus RH as a potential marker for the amount and size of Pt in pores at the given time of characterization. The presented model framework helps establish links both between electrode composition and nanomorphology as well as between nanomorphology and expected degradation.
Author(s)
Hadrich, Anne-Christine
Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE  
Schneider, Patrick David
Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE  
Klingele, Matthias
Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften Kempten
Zamel, Nada  
Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE  
Gerteisen, Dietmar
Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE  
Mainwork
21st Symposium on Modeling and Experimental Validation of Electrochemical Energy Technologies, ModVal 2025. Proceedings  
Conference
Symposium on Modeling and Experimental Validation of Electrochemical Energy Technologies 2025  
Link
Link
Language
English
Fraunhofer-Institut für Solare Energiesysteme ISE  
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