Creep properties of catalyst coated membranes for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

Abstract Creep as a time-dependent mechanical damage acting either independently or in conjunction with other degradation mechanisms is known to reduce the membrane durability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Due to the important ionomer coupling of membrane and catalyst layers in PEFCs, the present work evaluates membrane creep when constrained within a catalyst coated membrane (CCM). Three key factors dominating creep life in commonly used perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) ionomer membranes, including creep stress, temperature, and relative humidity, were investigated by applying ex-situ creep loading and unloading experiments under controlled temperature and humidity conditions. The creep strain and recovery of the CCM were found to be highly dependent on the environmental conditions and applied stress levels, where the temperature effect on creep strain was the most significant. Repetitive creep – recovery cycles revealed that significant creep damage can accumulate in the material over time. This accumulated creep damage was found to be independent of the loading frequency while both peak strain and permanent deformation increased with the stress duration. Based on the present findings, it is recommended to reduce the operating temperature and ensure adequate membrane hydration in order to mitigate harmful creep effects in PEFCs.