Shelf-Life of Ball-Milled Catalyst Inks for the Fabrication of Fuel Cell Electrodes

A major factor driving fuel cell costs is the quantity of precious metal required. Therefore, it is important to understand a timeframe where inks can be reused. In this work, we explore differences between a freshly prepared catalyst ink and one that has been stored for over a year - comparing ink properties, cathode catalyst layer microstructure, and their respective fuel cell performance. Ink studies revealed smaller agglomerate sizes and a decrease in shear viscosity for the aged ink. Longer storage time also results in fewer cracks and a more uniform ionomer distribution, as evidenced by microscopy characterization of rod-coated electrodes. Lastly, polarization curves show improved performance at higher current densities for the electrode prepared from the aged ink. We rationalize such effect in terms of enhanced ionomer adsorption onto the catalyst over time.