Effects of hydrazine addition on gas evolution and performance of the direct borohydride fuel cell

✍ Scribed by H.Y. Qin; Z.X. Liu; W.X. Yin; J.K. Zhu; Z.P. Li

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 538 KB
• Volume: 185
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-7753
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2008.08.052

✦ Synopsis

A fuel cell configuration using alkaline NaBH 4 -N 2 H 4 solutions as the fuel is suggested. Gas evolution behaviors and cell performances of alkaline NaBH 4 -N 2 H 4 solutions on different catalysts have been studied. It is found that gas evolution behaviors are influenced by the applied anodic catalysts and the concentration of NaBH 4 and N 2 H 4 . NaBH 4 is mainly electro-oxidized on Pd but N 2 H 4 is mainly electro-oxidized on Ni and surface-treated Zr-Ni alloy when using NaBH 4 -N 2 H 4 solutions as the fuel and a composite of Pd, Ni and surface-treated Zr-Ni alloy as the anodic catalyst. The cyclic voltammetry results show that electrochemical oxidation potential of NaBH 4 is higher than that of N 2 H 4 . Adding hydrazine into alkaline sodium borohydride solutions can suppress gas evolution and improve the cell performance of the DBFC. The performances of fuel cells using NaBH 4 -N 2 H 4 solutions are comparable to that of fuel cell using N 2 H 4 solution.