Effects of degradation materials of silicone gaskets on the electrochemical performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell

초록

Gaskets and seals are sealing materials in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells to prevent leakage and mixing of hydrogen and oxygen. In PEM fuel cell, since sealing materials are exposed to humid environment and high temperature, long-term chemical stability and durability are required, which may affect the electrochemical performance of PEM fuel cell. Although silicone is a common material for gasket of PEM fuel cell, it may be decompose into low molecular weight materials and flow into other parts of the fuel cell, which can affect the performance of the fuel cell. Therefore, in this work, the effect of degradation products of silicone gasket on the performance of PEM fuel cell was investigated. Electrochemical performance was tested to investigate the effect of degradation products of silicone gasket on the performance of PEMFC. This work was supported by the Technology Innovation Program(20009983) funded by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE, Korea).