Materials for fuel cells

M. Gasik, Cambridge, Woodhead Publishing Limited, 2008, 512 pp., £150 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-84569-330-5

This is a book of nearly 500 pages that explores the materials used in the many types of fuel cells being developed today, from their humble beginnings to the latest concepts. Like many books, each chapter is written by an expert in their field. Chapter 1 very briefly explains what a fuel cell is, giving a short history and the many types that have evolved from that humble beginning, why fuel cells have become so important in the last 20 years or so and the material challenges faced. It also includes a short introduction about how the rest of the book is structured.

Chapter 2 gives a general introduction to all fuel cell types, including some basic thermodynamics to explain why fuel cells should be more efficient and, therefore, a more environmentally friendly source of energy compared with the internal combustion engine. Each common fuel cell type is outlined with their optimum working temperatures, the electrochemical reactions taking place and the power densities that are achievable. The architecture of the fuel cell is then discussed, looking into the detail of the fuel cell stack, the balance of plant, thermal management, material requirements and issues with the fuels used for each system.

Chapters 3–8 describe in detail each of the most common types of fuel cell being developed today, explaining the main chemical reactions, designs, electrodes, separators, progress and material aspects of each individual fuel cell type. Chapter 9 introduces the regenerative fuel cell, its development, parts requirements, performance and cost and looks at future trends in this area. Novel fuel cells and materials are dealt with in Chapter 10. This chapter explores nanotechnology and the fuel cell. Nanotechnology can be applied to the catalysts and composite electrolyte materials for a number of systems. Other material challenges are looked into as well as alternative fuels and catalysts. The remaining two chapters concentrate on the degradation and failure mechanisms experienced in all types of fuel cell and life-cycle assessment and recyclability of the materials used in fuel cells.

The main strength of this book is that it covers all the common fuel cell types, with details of their mechanisms, history, current status, uses and of course details of the materials used in each.

The book, as stated, is written by a number of authors. Each one uses their own set of acronyms and referencing system. As a reference book, it would have been useful to have a list of the acronyms used throughout and a consistent referencing system. A number of references were used citing the web site Wikipedia. This source can be constantly changed by anyone and is not refereed, and so in my opinion, it should not be used as a reference in a text book. There were also a number of typographical/printing errors throughout the book.

This book is a good all-rounder for those wishing to find out about fuel cells in general from the basic principles of how they work and as a more detailed reference book for those already in the fuel cell field wishing to get ideas for future research projects. However, a beginner in the field will need to use this in conjunction with other similar texts to get a more rounded view of the subject. Although easy to read, I suggest that this text is most suitable to those with a good scientific background.