CORECAT

The CORECAT industrial research project involves 3 academic partners (Armines, LEPMI and ICCF) and 2 small companies (PaxiTech and SymbioFCell). The project proposes to overcome the technological barriers inherent to the Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) materials to allow their large commercialization in the medium term. The major problem is aging which is strongly linked to corrosion of the carbon support in the cathode electrocatalyst, especially observed in conditions of high potential linked with the reactant starvation occurring particularly during startup/shutdown processes. The CORECAT project aims at overcoming the drawbacks of the existing carbon black support by developing and testing alternative carbon-based electrocatalysts in which we will modify the surface to make them more resistant to corrosion while still maintaining the porous texture and conductivity inherent to carbon substrates. Two different methods will be tested on three types of carbons (carbon black, nanotubes and carbon aerogels) presenting very different intrinsic characteristics. The methods used to deposit the nanoparticles of platinum and to prepare the ink (electrolyte/electrocatalyst) will be adapted to the surface reactivity of these new electrocatalysts. The electrocatalysts, which will have reached the criteria of conductivity and of activity on rotating disc electrode (RDE), will be tested for durability in RDE. On this basis the more relevant electrocatalysts will be implemented and tested in Membrane-Electrode Assembly (MEA) for validation. Finally the electrocatalysts which will have reached the criteria of performances and durability in MEA will be integrated in small industrial systems. Our goal is to develop and validate in industrial systems innovative solutions leading to sustainable and efficient PEMFC for fairly low power systems (< 10 kW, e.g. for portable applications or range extenders in electric vehicles) operating in the harshest conditions of use. Consequently, the improvement obtained in this project will be exploitable whatever the power range and the application of the fuel cell (portable, transport or stationary).