Proton exchange membrane fuel cell degradation and testing: review

This paper reviews recent studies of proton exchange membrane (PEM) durability to highlight areas where further research is required to develop durable membrane materials. Degradation mechanisms of PEM are reviewed to understand both the change in membrane performance with time in various applications and the main phenomena causing degradation. Commonly used degradation detection and testing techniques are outlined. This review also focuses on gaps in the published literature that limit our understanding of degradation mechanisms and the correlation between them. These gaps need to be well understood in order to produce durable PEM fuel cells.