Freudenberg Uses Roll-to-Roll Coater to Fabricate Precise GDEs for Direct Membrane Deposition in Fuel Cells
In a new study, researchers from Freudenberg e-Power Systems GmbH used an infinityPV Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater to improve the fabrication of low-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (LT-PEMFCs).
Traditional fuel cell manufacturing methods, such as catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) or gas diffusion electrode (GDE) approaches, often struggle with scalability, high costs, and poor membrane-electrode interfaces, leading to performance losses.
The team explored Direct Membrane Deposition (DMD) via knife blade coating, a more scalable alternative to ink-jet or spray coating. By optimizing ionomer dispersion formulations, they achieved better membrane formation, proton conductivity, and mass transport in LT-PEMFCs.
The Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater fabricated ionomer-coated GDEs (IC-GDEs) with tailored rheological properties. The research demonstrates how precision coating can enhance fuel cell performance by balancing proton transport and oxygen diffusion, which is critical for real-world applications.
The Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater was used to fabricate gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) with precise catalyst ink deposition.
How the Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater Was Used
The study used infinityPV’s Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater to fabricate gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) with precise catalyst ink deposition. Pt/C catalyst inks were slot-die coated onto microporous GDL substrates, ensuring uniform thickness and loading.
Three ionomer formulations were then knife-blade coated onto cathode GDEs at 5 mm/s, achieving ~10 µm dry ionomer layers.
After drying, ionomer-coated GDEs were laminated with half-membranes in a hot-pressing process, resulting in 6-layer MEAs with a 12 cm² active area and ~20 µm membrane thickness.
“Gas diffusion electrodes are fabricated by a continuous slot-die process on a roll-to-roll machine (Infinity PV, Denmark), applying the catalyst ink onto the microporous side of a gas
diffusion layer (H14C15, Freudenberg Performance Materials, Germany) followed by drying off the solvents. The process parameters are chosen for anode and cathode to obtain a platinum loading of 0.1 and 0.35 mgPt cm-², respectively.”
What This Means for Your Research
This study demonstrates the reliability and precision of the Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater for advancing fuel cell and energy storage research.
The Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater enables researchers to efficiently test and optimize material formulations, such as ionomer dispersions, by providing consistent, high-quality coatings. This precision helps eliminate common issues like interfacial losses, improving performance in applications like direct membrane deposition (DMD).
For labs looking to scale up from small-scale methods to industrial-level production, the Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater offers a versatile and dependable solution. Its ability to fine-tune coating parameters ensures reproducible results, making it ideal for exploring new materials, optimizing processes, and transitioning research into real-world applications.
How Can We Help With Your Research?
Need help with slot-die coating or machines? Contact our experts for guidance and support.
Peer-Reviewed Studies Featuring the Laboratory Roll-to-Roll Coater
The Web Lift creates an elevated, open-span section between the rollers, providing easy access to both sides of the moving substrate. Ideal for optical inspection, camera integration, illumination studies, sensor testing, and process development requiring unobstructed access to the foil or web during coating and converting experiments.