Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolysis is a promising technology for efficient hydrogen production, utilizing the electrolysis of water to generate hydrogen. The performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Electrolytic Cells (PEMECs) is strongly influenced by the conditioning of the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA), which serves as a critical step in preparing the MEA for optimal functionality. The conditioning process includes two steps. The pre-treatment, which involves hydrating and chemically or thermally activating the MEA, followed by a break-in procedure that stabilizes the electrochemical performance during initial operation.The conditioning strategies explored in this study include ex-situ and in-situ hydration, acidic treatment, and elevated temperature conditions during the pre-treatment step. The impact of pre-treatment conditions; mechanical, chemical, and thermal on the short-term electrochemical performance of Nafion™ N115-based MEAs highlight the importance of both the pre-treatment and break-in procedures in establishing consistent cell operation.The results show that in-situ pre-treatment allows the membrane to swell under constrained conditions post-assembly, significantly enhances the contact area between the MEA and the porous transport layers, reducing contact resistance and improving overall PEMEC performance. Moreover, acidic treatment and elevated temperature conditions further contribute to improved proton conductivity, leading to reduced Ohmic resistance and cell voltage.While the break-in procedure stabilizes the cell’s electrochemical performance in the short term, further investigation is conducted to evaluate how these conditioning protocols impact the long-term degradation mechanisms. This study presents preliminary findings on the durability of conditioned MEAs under continuous operation and explores how optimizing the conditioning process could contribute to enhanced long-term performance, paving the way for more reliable and efficient PEMEC systems in industrial applications.
Wolf et al. (Wed,) studied this question.