Disassembly technologies for PEMFC stacks in heavy-duty applications

Hydrogen is one of the most promising solutions for decarbonising the industrial sector, particularly the chemical and steel industries. To utilise hydrogen as a mobile energy carrier in heavy-duty applications such as transportation, it is necessary to convert the chemically bound energy into electrical energy to power electrical systems. Fuel cell technologies, in particular Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), are crucial in this regard, as they efficiently convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water.
It is expected that production capacity will continue to grow, especially in the heavy-duty sector, and that the need for development will increase significantly. As a result, larger numbers of PEMFCs will reach the end of their life cycle. Successful closed-loop production requires optimising material use, making production processes more efficient, and recovering valuable materials. In order to optimise material, use and recover valuable resources such as platinum and fluorine-containing polymers and extend the product life cycle through reuse, aspects such as disassembly, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling must be considered before mass production.
This publication aims to provide an overview of disassembly strategies and technologies for PEMFC stacks used in heavy-duty applications. It analyzes the general structure and layout of PEMFC stacks, with a focus on the Bipolar Plate (BPP), the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) and the gaskets or seals. Various materials and designs of these components result in a wide spectrum of requirements regarding the handling and disassembly technologies. The outcome is a matrix show casing potential disassembly technologies for common PEMFC stack layouts, along with the expected limitations arising from different component and material combinations and their characteristics. The results of these investigations enable a more efficient development of automated disassembly processes for PEMFCs by providing appropriate guidance for suitable disassembly technologies.