A review of the gas diffusion layer in proton exchange membrane fuel cells: Durability and degradation

Abstract For successful commercialization of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, the durability requirement must be satisfied. The degradation of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell has been extensively studied, and a number of review papers investigating the durability issue have already been published. However, the gas diffusion layer has rarely been examined, even though it might be a key factor for managing mass transport and two-phase flow while mechanically supporting a membrane-electrode assembly and a bipolar plate. This paper reviews the published works on the durability of the gas diffusion layer of the proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The degradation of the gas diffusion layer can be divided into mechanical degradation, including the compression force effect, freeze/thaw cycle effect, dissolution effect, and erosion effect, and chemical degradation, which consists of the carbon corrosion effect. Following these categories, the methods of accelerated stress tests, the degradation mechanisms, and the influential factors are investigated along with various measurements of gas diffusion layer properties and cell performances.