Performance of an integrated composite membrane electrode assembly in DMFC

We report here the performance of a metal-based integrated composite membrane electrode assembly (IC-MEA) in direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The IC-MEA integrates the multi-functions of a conventional MEA, gas diffusion layer (GDL) and current collector. It was fabricated by impregnating Nafion electrolyte into a sandwiched structure containing expanding-Polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) and porous titanium sheets and subsequently coating with catalyst layer and microporous layer (MPL). While operating with air and 2 M methanol under ambient pressure, the IC-MEA in DMFC can yield a maximum power density of 19 mW cm−2 at 26 °C, higher than a in-house made Nafion 115 MEA under the same working conditions. The IC-MEAs has been successfully applied to planar multi-cell stacks.