Volume 9 Issue 2 ( June 2022 )

This study synthesized the activated carbon as material support for platinum catalysts in fuel cells application. The pyrolytic carbon black from the waste tyre was activated through physical activation using oxygen gas in a vertical bed column. The activation influencing factors are then examined, which include the activation temperature, the activation time, and the composition of oxidant oxygen gas in the activation. The results showed that the optimum operating conditions for the carbon black activation into its corresponding activated carbon are activation temperature at 300℃, activation time for 1 hour with pure oxidant oxygen gas. The resulting activated carbon was also successfully tested as a potential platinum-fuel cell catalyst support (Pt/AC) in the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in Direct Methanol Fuel Cell (DMFC) application, as indicated from the electrochemical testing, i.e. the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) measurement. The CV measurement showed that this Pt/AC catalyst generates the region of hydrogen adsorption/desorption (Hads/des), the double-layer charging and discharging, and the CO oxidation-reduction. In addition, during the LSV measurement, this Pt/AC catalyst showed the reactivity towards MOR with its current density of 0.0005 A.cm^-2 at 0.6 V.

Keywords: activated carbon; carbon black; physical activation; Direct Methanol Fuel cell