Degradation and failure modes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

This chapter presents the degradation and failure mechanisms in proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells. Since degradation of a PEM fuel cell depends heavily on its operating conditions and the constitution of its components, in this chapter, several nonideal operating conditions that can lead to fuel cell degradation and failure are discussed along with their mechanisms and the components of the fuel cells they attack. Three different types of degradation mechanisms, namely, chemical/electrochemical, mechanical, and thermal, of the different components of the fuel cell, especially the membrane electrode assembly are discussed.