Preparing Gas-Diffusion Layers of PEMFCs with a Dry Deposition Technique

To improve the ease of production and reproducibility, a novel approach was developed for preparing gas-diffusion layers (GDL) of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). In this approach, the GDL was prepared by dry deposition of a mixture of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene powders onto water-proofed carbon paper in combination with a subsequent rolling process. Three kinds of carbon black, including Ketjenblack EC-600JD, Vulcan XC-72, and Denka, were investigated. Furthermore, the reproducibility of the GDL with Vulcan XC-72 was also tested. The results indicate that this dry-deposition technique is feasible for mass production applications with simple operation, solvent-free coating and excellent repeatability.