つくば燃料電池研究所 List of Products and Services

In electrochemical measurements using devices such as potentiostats, an important factor is the reference electrode that serves as the basis for the potential. Typically, solid electrodes such as saturated calomel electrodes and silver/silver chloride electrodes are used. While these offer the convenience of being ready for use as soon as they are immersed in the test solution, they also present several issues, including degradation and changes over time with prolonged use, the time required for potential recovery when current accidentally flows, and contamination of the test solution by the internal liquid. Additionally, the use of hazardous substances like mercury is not environmentally friendly. Particularly in catalyst research related to fuel cells, these reference electrodes are supposed to be recommended as the standard for the "hydrogen electrode," but there have not been many options that are easy to use until now. Our TFCL-type standard hydrogen electrode has been developed with "ease of use" in mind.

• Plastic utensils and containers
• Other laboratory equipment and containers

1. Each of the hydrogen electrode gas and air electrode gas is equipped with a gas inlet pipe, discharge pipe, temperature sensor, heater, and temperature controller (up to 80°C), and is controlled independently. 2. Humidifier container structure: It has a two-layer structure with an upper chamber created by making space in the lid part and a lower chamber equipped with a pure water tank for gas bubbling. By placing a temperature sensor in the upper chamber, the vapor saturation at the gas outlet is ensured.

• Other physicochemical equipment

The features of this device are as follows: (1) It is a fuel cell testing device integrated with a hot press, achieving significant simplification of equipment and cost reduction. (2) It can apply a load of up to 1,000 kgf as a hot press, allowing the production of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEA) with an electrode area of 2 cm². (3) A rotating handle applies the load, enabling accurate readings with a pressure sensor. Therefore, the variation in hot press operation is minimal. (4) As a single cell testing device, it does not require tightening of the cell with bolts, making assembly easy. Additionally, the setting of MEA bonding pressure is accurate, and uniform tightening is guaranteed. (5) It features a cassette exchangeable gas flow path, allowing for flexible flow path design. (6) The temperature can be set independently for the anode and cathode. (7) Due to the small electrode area, testing can be conducted with a small amount of materials (such as catalysts and polymer electrolyte membranes). (8) It does not require a large-capacity electronic load device (measurements can be made with a potentiostat). (9) The entire device is compact and fits into a single rack, making it easy to move.

• Other measurement, recording and measuring instruments

We offer a "half-cell testing device" that simplifies the amount of test materials and assembly significantly due to its small reaction area of 0.5 cm². For polarization evaluation, a potentiostat, which is commonly used as an electrochemical device, is sufficient, and a gas humidification device is not required. Particularly when addressing materials on the cathode side, it is adequate to supply only oxygen gas, eliminating the need for the continuous supply of hazardous hydrogen. 【Features】 ■ Compact and inexpensive ■ Easy to use for beginners ■ Gas phase electrode reaction analysis ■ Easy temperature control ■ Durability testing of MEA is also possible *For more details, please download the PDF or contact us.

• Testing Equipment and Devices