Material science and engineering: The enabling technology for the commercialisation of fuel cell systems

The critical role of materials science and engineering in the development o f fuel cell technology is surveyed. The inability to fabricate reliable tri ple-phase-boundary (tbp) structures involving electrolytes, electronic cond uctors, and gaseous reactants, severely restricted the progress of fuel cel ls until about four decades ago (similar to 1960). However at the start of the new millennium, commercialisation of four fuel cell types: polymeric el ectrolyte membrane (PEMFC), phosphoric acid (PAFC), molten carbonate (MCFC) , and solid oxide (SOFC), is now being very energetically pursued. Material s selection for each type of fuel cell is briefly examined, and the predomi nant engineering issues related to the development of commercial products a re summarised. The fabrication, reliability, and cost of the relevant mater ials is of paramount importance to ensure rapid market penetration. The cho ice of fuel and relevant infrastructure is also considered, and the crucial role of materials for energy storage (particularly hydrogen) and fuel proc essing, is emphasised. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.