Preparation and Characterisation of Pelletised Glass Electrolytes for Fuel Cells

This paper reports on the preparation and characterisation. of pelletised. glass electrolytes that were fabricated with a proton conducting glass derived from a sol-gel technique, and several kinds of binders. The electrolytes, consisting of a glass powder that had been pulverised by planetary ball nulling and mixed with an orthophosphoric acid binder, gave rise to a maximum proton conductivity of 13 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) measured at 80 degrees C and 80% relative humidity. The pore diameter of the PGE was in this case -2 rim. The hydrogen;as permeability was analysed as a function of the temperature and x-vas found to be (in the order of 10(-10) mol cm(-1) s(-1) Pa(-1) at 100 degrees C Current-voltage measurements were carried Out at room temperature using the PGE under H(2) and O(2) flow Power densities were obtained from the I-V curves during fuel cell operation at 80 degrees C and 100% R.H.