High surface area mechanically alloyed Pt-based catalyst

Extensive efforts are being made to reduce the amount of the platinum catalyst currently used in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) while maintaining high power level, in an attempt to reduce the cost of the fuel cell. To achieve this, a mechanical alloying technique was employed to refine the catalyst microstructure (i.e., increasing the effective catalyst surface area). In the present work, an investigation is carried out to study the relationship between the mechanical alloying process parameters and catalyst microstructural refinement, surface area and electrocatalytic behavior. Pt-Co alloys were fabricated from high purity Pt and Co powders using high-energy ball milling. The alloy catalysts were characterized using TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD and BET techniques. A high surface area Pt-based catalyst with improved catalytic activities has been achieved.