- The Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC, using H2 and air as fuels) is a relevant solution for the production of low-carbon electrical energy. However, it is necessary to further improve its performance and durability, and reduce its cost.
- In this spirit, the national French project PEMFC95 aims at developing and characterizing PEMFC materials able to operate sustainably at 95°C (standard is 80°C) and thus more suitable and attractive for Heavy-Duty application (buses, trucks, trains…). It is supported by the French ‘Programme et Equipements Prioritaires de Recherche sur l’hydrogène décarboné’ (PEPR-H2).
- The component considered in this thesis is the catalyst layer (CL) which is a mixture of Pt/C (platinum onto carbon particles), H+ conductive ionomer, and solvents. The optimization of the CL in terms of spatial distribution of Pt/C, ionomer and pores is crucial for improving performance and durability. This is directly linked to the ink formulation and to the manufacturing process used to produce the CL. Nevertheless, the relation between the CL manufacturing process and parameters, its structure and components’ distribution, and the performance and durability of the PEMFC, is still an open question. The aim of your Ph.D. thesis is to progress on this, focusing on the drying step of the bar coater manufacturing process.
- You will contribute to the PEMFC95 project thanks to your scientific/technological developments to understand the impact of the drying process and parameters on the microstructure of CL and make the link with the performance and durability of PEMFC.
- You will have interactions and meetings with the partners of the project and with CNRS/IMFT (Toulouse), specialist of transport phenomenon in porous media.
You will be hired by CEA-Grenoble and work with permanent and non-permanent staff in the laboratory, (male and female) engineers and technicians, to discuss your ideas, perform your experiments and analyze the data. You will be managed by Joël Pauchet as your thesis director, specialist of porous media and their modeling for PEMFC, and Christine Nayoze-Coynel for her knowledge on the CL and MEA manufacturing.

More information are accessible in the attached file and/or Under request.