Performance evaluation of thin film catalyzed membrane electrode assemblies for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

Several membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) have been fabricated by using different polymer electrolyte membranes and evaluated based on the cell per formance. Thin-film catalyst/ionomer composite layer was formed on the memb ranes by transfer printing technique. The performance evaluation of the MEA s and a commercial MEA was carried out using a single cell with an electrod e area of 50 cm(2). The commercial MEA showed the performance of 1.2A/cm(2) at 0.6 V, whereas the MEAs made of Nafion 115 and a commercial membrane sh owed the performance of 800 mA/cm(2) and 980 mA/cm(2) at 0.6V, respectively . The performance of thin film catalyzed MEAs increased in the following or der under the same operation condition: Nafion 115 Hanwha, Flemion T, Dow a nd Gore-Select membrane. The performance characteristics were discussed in terms of some manufacturing parameters of thin film catalyzed MEA.