Anion exchange membranes for fuel cell are a promising technology for stationary applications. The technology still needs to overcome certain challenges before they can be applied to vehicular applications. These challenges include enhancing the durability of the cell performance and a solution to carbon-dioxide poisoning problem. This work will focus on the carbon-dioxide issue. In the past couple of years, a lot of emphasis has been placed on understanding the effect of carbon-dioxide on the material or electrochemical characteristics of the membrane.^1-3 We have investigated the effect of carbon-dioxide on ionic concentrations, conductivity and the morphological characteristics of the membrane. We have also studied the equilibrium carbonate-bicarbonate concentration at different temperatures.² However, we haven’t investigated the physical quantities of carbon-dioxide absorption like mass-transfer coefficient and diffusivity of the CO₂ through the membrane. Researchers have tried to assume classical mass transfer absorption models in their simulation works however no one has attempted to experimentally investigate these crucial properties.⁴ Therefore, this work will discuss absorption phenomenon from a chemical engineering point to shed more light on the CO₂ problem. Here we have used CO₂ sensors to track the absorption of CO₂ at different conditions. We have also conducted segmented cell tests to spatially understand the spatial effects of CO₂ absorption on current density and voltage in-situ fuel cell test. The data will be fit to models to better predict the CO2 absorption with chemical reaction.^{5, 6} Ultimately this would be very useful to modelers so they can incorporate these absorption models and come up with better ways to operate the fuel cell using ambient air(400 ppm CO₂).

References:

1. H. Yanagi and K. Fukuta, ECS Transactions, 2008, 16, 257-262.
2. A. G. Divekar, B. S. Pivovar and A. M. Herring, ECS Transactions, 2018, 86, 643-648.
3. A. G. Divekar, A. M. Park, Z. R. Owczarczyk, S. Seifert, B. S. Pivovar and A. M. Herring, ECS Transactions, 2017, 80, 1005-1011.
4. J. A. Wrubel, A. A. Peracchio, B. N. Cassenti, T. D. Myles, K. N. Grew and W. K. S. Chiu, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 2017, 164, F1063-F1073.
5. V. A. Juvekar and M. M. Sharma, Chemical Engineering Science, 1973, 28, 825-837.
6. P. Danckwerts, Gas-liquid reactions, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1970.