• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.189-196
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• 1995

Materials retaining electrolyte of a phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC) have been prepared with SiC powder to SiC whisker mixing ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 0:1 by a tape casting method. When 3wt% dispersant (sorbitan monooleate) is added to a matrix, the porosity of the matrix decreases a little while the bubble pressure and area of the matrix increase remarkably in comparison with no dispersant content. Effect of the electrolyte resistance and the polarization resistance on perfomance of a PAFC has been investigated using A.C. impedance spectroscopy. With the increase of whisker content, the electrolyte resistance decreases due to the increase of porosity and acid absorbancy, and the polarization resistance increases due to the increase of surface roughness. The polarization resistance affects current density predominantly at the higher potential than 0.7V becuase the polarization resistance is considrably larger than the electrolyte resistance. Both the electrolyte resistance and the polarization resistance affect current density near 0.7V of the fuel cell operating potential because they have similar values. The electrolyte resistance affects current density predominantly at the lower potential than the fuel cell operating potential because the electrolyte resistance is larger than the polarization resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.37 no.1
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• pp.26-32
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• 2000

Preparation and characteristics of a matrix retaining electrolyte using SiC whisker, PES binder, and NMP(n-methyl-2-pyrrolidone) as a non-volatile solvent for a phosphoric acid fuel cell were investigated. The conditions of binder and plasticizer, and the effects of substituting a volatile solvent by a non-volatile solvent were also studied. The minimum amount of the binder was about 17 wt% for the proper bubble pressure and surrounding SiC whiskers. And the maximum amount of the plasticizer was about 10wt% to be fitted into the polymer chain of the binder. The matrix prepared by using a non-volatile solvent needed longer time to dry, and its pore size was smaller compared with that of the matrix prepared by using volatile solvent. The small pore size resulted in decrease of the overall pore volume. The ionic conductivity in the condition of the same thickness was decreased due to decrease of phosphoric acid absorbancy. As the internal resistance of the electrolyte increased, the fuel cell performance slightly decreased.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.375-380
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• 1994

Matrices retaining electrolyte in phosphoric acid fuel cell were prepared with SiC to SiC whisker mixing ratios of 1:0.5, 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:3 by tape casting method. When viscosity of the slurry was 5.9 poise and the SiC to SiC whisker mixing ratios were 1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, the ranges of porosity, acid absorbency and bubble pressure were 80~90%, 2.5~6 and 700~2200 mmH2O, respectively. Those ranges are acceptable for a practical electrolyte-retaining matrix. With increasing the mixing ratio of SiC whisker to SiC, the porosity and the vol.% of large pores in the main pore size distribution which is between 1 and 10 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$, increased rapidly. Impedance spectroscopy was measured to know characteristics of matrix inside and contact region of matrix to catalyst layer. When the SiC to SiC whisker mixing ratio was 1:2, hydrogen ions were transported in the matrix most effectively because of high ionic conductivity and low activation energy due to high acid absorbency in spite of high interfacial resistance. The cell current density of the cell made using the matrix was 220 mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at 0.7 V.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1205-1212
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• 1997

The matrices which consisted of SiC whisker, PES(polyesterasulfone) as a binder, span 80(sorbitan monooleate) as a surfactant, TPP(triphenyl phosphate) as a plasticizer and dichloromethane as a solvent, have been prepared by the various methods such as tape casting, rolling, tape cast-coating and roll-coating method. The fuel cells of single stack type using these matrices are characterized by ac impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry technique. A fuel cell using a matrix prepared by the tape cast-coating method shows the best performance of 466.34 mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$ at 0.6V because it has the lowest polarization resistance at the interface between electrodes and a matrix due to the largest three phase contact region of gases, catalyst and electrolyte.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.587-592
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• 1992

Sheets of SiC-SiC whisker maxed matrix were prepared from the mixed slurry of SiC whisker and SiC matrix by the rolling method. With the increase of SiC whisker, the pore size, the porosity and the phosphoric acid absorbency of the matrix were increased, while the bubble pressure was decreased. The activation energy for the transfer of H+ ion was decreased with the increase of mixing ratio of SiC whisker to the SiC matrix from the measurement of hydrogen ion conductivity. The activation energy was evaluated as 0.25 eV when the mixing ratio of SiC whisker to the SiC matrix was 1 : 2 and the activation energy was 0.16 eV for the 2 : 1 matrix. It means that SiC whisker matrix contributes to attain a better microstructure for the diffusion of hydrogen ion. From the measurement of single cell performance of matrix with various mixing ratio, it is concluded that if SiC-SiC whisker maxed matrix has a sufficient bubble pressure to prevent the crossover of H2 gas, the current density of a fuel cell is increased with the increase of acid absorbency of the matrix. Current density was improved from 140 mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$ for 0.25 mm thickness of matrix to 170 mA/$\textrm{cm}^2$ for the 0.20 mm one at 700 mV.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.7 no.12
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• pp.1097-1104
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• 1997

인산형 연료전지(PAFC)용 전해질 매트릭스의 표면 거칠기를 감소시켜 분극저항을 줄이고 작업성을 향상시키기 위해 SiC whisker를 사용하여 일반적인 테이프 캐스팅법으로 제조된 매트릭스의 거친 표면을 평탄화 처리하였다. 구형 입자의 분무공정을 이용하여 표면 평탄화 처리(process l)하는 경우와 롤링을 이용하여 표면 평탄화 처리(process 2)하는 두가지 공정을시도하였으며, 두가지 공정 모두 기공율과 인산 함침도를 유지시키면서, 매트릭스의 표면 거칠기를 감소시키고 기공압, 가소성 및 인장강도를 향상시킬 수 있었다. 위와 같이 제조한 매트릭스로 연료전지를 구성하여 교류 임피던스 분석을 한 결과, 표면 평탄화 처리는 매트릭스 표면의 거칠기를 감소시킴으로써 전극과의 접촉시 계면에서의 분극 저항을 감소시켜 전지성능을 향상시키는 것으로 나타났다. process 2는 표면의 거칠기 감소뿐 아니라 표면에서의 인산함침도가 커서 가장 우수한 전지특성을 나타내었으며, process 1은 매트릭스 표면에 불규칙하게 존재하는 거대 기공을 완전히 제거하고 기공압을 크게 향상시킬 수 있기 때문에 대형의 매트릭스 제조를 가능하게 하였다.