The effect of nickel foam thickness on cell performance

Nickel foam has a unique three-dimensional (3-D) network structure that aids in the efficient use of catalysts and is commonly used as an electrode support material for alkaline direct alcohol fuel cells.
The thickness of nickel foam has an impact on battery performance. The findings indicate that thickness influences both mass transfer and electron conduction, and there is an optimal thickness. The conductivity increases as the thickness of the nickel foam decreases. However, the corresponding three-dimensional space narrows, resulting in partial catalyst agglomeration and hindered mass transfer. The cell performance of 0.6 mm nickel foam electrodes is superior to those of 0.3 and 1.0 mm. To fully utilize the catalyst's catalytic function, a mixed acid-etched nickel foam electrode with a lower Pd loading (0.35 mg cm−2) is prepared using a spontaneous deposition method. The single alkaline direct ethanol fuel cell (ADEFC) has a maximum power density of 30 mW cm−2, twice that of the hydrochloric acid-treated nickel foam electrode. The performance improvement is attributed to the micro-holes created by mixed acid etching, which increases the skeleton's roughness and the catalyst's electrochemical active surface area.