Thermal Stability of Proton Conducting Acid Doped Polybenzimidazole in Simulated Fuel Cell Environments

Recently, polybenzimidazole membrane doped with phosphoric acid (PBI) was found to have promising properties for use as a polymer electrolyte in a high temperature (ca. 150 to 200°C) proton exchange membrane direct methanol fuel cell. However, operation at 200°C in strongly reducing and oxidizing environments introduces concerns of the thermal stability of the polymer electrolyte. To simulate the conditions in a high temperature fuel cell, PBI samples were loaded with fuel cell grade platinum black, doped with ca. 480 mole percent phosphoric acid (i.e., 4.8 molecules per PBI repeat unit) and heated under atmospheres of either nitrogen, 5% hydrogen, or air in a thermal gravimetric analyzer. The products of decomposition were taken directly into a mass spectrometer for identification. In all cases weight loss below 400°C was found to be due to loss of water. Judging from the results of these tests, the thermal stability of PBI is more than adequate for use as a polymer electrolyte in a high temperature fuel cell.