Application of Screen-Printed Catalytic Electrodes to MEMS-Based Fuel Cells

Kyong Shuji Tanaka, Bok Mill, Noriyuki Kato, Hiroyuki Oikawa, Masayoshi Esashi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This paper describes trials to realize a MEMS-based polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) with Pt-loaded carbon electrodes. We first developed screen-printing technology to pattern Pt-loaded carbon electrodes on MEMS-based PEFCs. Iso-propyl alcohol (IPA) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) were compared as the dispersion media of Pt-loaded carbon powder. We found that DBP-based paste had better screen-printability, and revealed the reason by measuring the relationship between the shear rate and viscosity of the pastes. Next, we applied the Pt loaded carbon paste to two types of MEMS-based PEFCs. One is the PEFC which uses porous SiO2 as a gas diffusion layer. The Pt-loaded carbon paste was screen-printed on the Pt current collector which was sputter-deposited on the porous SiO2. The obtained power density was only 70 (μW/cm2. The other type of MEMS-based PEFC is a thin film PEFC. A Pt-loaded carbon anode and cathode were screen-printed on a silicon/Pyrex glass support substrate. The obtained power density was 1.5 (μW/cm2. The low performance may be due to the low performance of the prepared Pt-loaded carbon, and/or the poor adhesion of the anode with the current collector and the PEM. For the thin film PEFC, the high resistance of the Pt-loaded carbon electrodes can be another reason, because there are no current collector on the Pt-loaded carbon electrodes. Keywords : Polymer electrolyte fuel cell, Pt-loaded carbon, Screen-printing.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)413-417
Number of pages5
JournalIEEJ Transactions on Sensors and Micromachines
Volume125
Issue number10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2005 Jan 1

Keywords

  • Polymer electrolyte fuel cell
  • Pt-loded carbon
  • Screen printing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering

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