Influence of hot-pressing temperature on physical and electrochemical performance of catalyst coated membranes for direct methanol fuel cells

The physical and electrochemical performance of a direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) are improved by optimizing the hot-pressing temperature for fabricating the catalyst coated membrane (CCM) through the decal transfer method. SEM and XRD tests show that the morphology of the catalyst layer and the growth of Pt particles can be greatly influenced by the hot-pressing temperature. The CCM hot-pressed at 185 °C displays the best output performance due to the increase in electrochemical surface area (ESA), and the improved contact between the catalyst layer and the membrane. Although high hot-pressing temperature favors decreased methanol crossover, the performance of the CCM is subject to serious Pt agglomeration and slow mass transport.