Preparation and characterization of Ni-plated polytetrafluoroethylene plate as an electrode for alkaline fuel cell

At about 50 wt% Ni content, Ni-plated polytetrafluoroethylene (Ni-PTFE) particles show conductivity of 300 S m−1 when plated on 25 μm PTFE particles. For this study, Ni-PTFE particles were formed into the Ni-PTFE plate using heat treatment at 350 °C after 300 kg cm−2 pressing. The Ni-PTFE plate displayed electrical conductivity and gas permeability. The plate was used as an electrode in an alkaline fuel cell (AFC). In terms of the current density, AFC using the Ni-PTFE electrode plated with Pt or Pd by immersion plating showed improved performance.