3. Membrane degradation during operation in PEMFC fuel cells

Generally speaking, degradation in a fuel cell occurs during operation. These degradations occur on the various components of the cell: reduction of the active electrochemical surface area by agglomeration of platinum particles at the electrodes, degradation of the membrane or diffusion layers, among others. Here, we only describe phenomena relating to the membrane, even though there is a certain synergy between catalyst and ionomer material degradation. Three types of degradation are known for fuel cell membranes: chemical, mechanical and thermal. Although this classification is commonplace, it has its limits, since these degradations are sometimes linked to each other.