The Relevance of Printing Processes in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Manufacturing

The present study compares these processes on three main fields, (i) catalyst layers manufacturability, detailing the specific protocols that are required to produce catalyst layers, (ii) catalyst layers quality, analyzing the typical deposition defects of the catalyst layers induce by the process, (iii) catalyst layers economic issue, where manufacturing processes are compared as a function of the production costs.

Conventional printing defects appear on the catalyst layers made by printing processes. However, the tested catalyst layers show no significant electrochemical difference. In a context of an increasing market estimated to reaches $1.2 billion by 2014, each process suits for a specific type of production depending technical and economical requirements.