{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13376"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/13376","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Evaluation of metal nitrides and borides as alternative electrocatalyst support materials for polymer electrolyte fuel cells","abstract":"Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have wide variety of commercial applications, however due to poor durability and high cost, this technology has currently not reached its commercialization stage. Poor durability is mainly attributed to carbon support corrosion during start-up and shut-down of the fuel cell. Corrosion of the electrocatalyst support materials has numerous adverse effects on the performance of the fuel cell, such as weakening of metal-support interaction which results in Pt detachment, dissolution and sintering. Hence, the electrochemical active surface area is significantly reduced. It is clear that there is an urgent need for more robust, high performance alternative support materials to carbon. In this study, metal nitrides and borides (TiN, ZrN, TiB₂ , ZrB₂ and LaB₆) were evaluated as potential support materials, in an attempt to improve the durability and performance of PEFCs.","abstract_html":"Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have wide variety of commercial applications, however due to poor durability and high cost, this technology has currently not reached its commercialization stage. Poor durability is mainly attributed to carbon support corrosion during start-up and shut-down of the fuel cell. Corrosion of the electrocatalyst support materials has numerous adverse effects on the performance of the fuel cell, such as weakening of metal-support interaction which results in Pt detachment, dissolution and sintering. Hence, the electrochemical active surface area is significantly reduced. It is clear that there is an urgent need for more robust, high performance alternative support materials to carbon. In this study, metal nitrides and borides (TiN, ZrN, TiB₂ , ZrB₂ and LaB₆) were evaluated as potential support materials, in an attempt to improve the durability and performance of PEFCs.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Khoza, Thulile P"],"institution":"Department of Chemical Engineering","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Blair, Sharon","Levecque, Pieter B J"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014","date_published":"2014","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:38Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13376","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Blair, Sharon","Levecque, Pieter B J"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Khoza, Thulile P"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2015-07-03T10:34:17Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2015-07-03T10:34:17Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2014"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Chemical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc (Eng)"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13376"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Includes bibliographical references."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have wide variety of commercial applications, however due to poor durability and high cost, this technology has currently not reached its commercialization stage. Poor durability is mainly attributed to carbon support corrosion during start-up and shut-down of the fuel cell. Corrosion of the electrocatalyst support materials has numerous adverse effects on the performance of the fuel cell, such as weakening of metal-support interaction which results in Pt detachment, dissolution and sintering. Hence, the electrochemical active surface area is significantly reduced. It is clear that there is an urgent need for more robust, high performance alternative support materials to carbon. In this study, metal nitrides and borides (TiN, ZrN, TiB₂ , ZrB₂ and LaB₆) were evaluated as potential support materials, in an attempt to improve the durability and performance of PEFCs."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Evaluation of metal nitrides and borides as alternative electrocatalyst support materials for polymer electrolyte fuel cells"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Blair, Sharon","Levecque, Pieter B J"],"dc:creator":["Khoza, Thulile P"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2015-07-03T10:34:17Z"],"dc:date.available":["2015-07-03T10:34:17Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2014"],"dc:description":["Includes bibliographical references."],"dc:description.abstract":["Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) have wide variety of commercial applications, however due to poor durability and high cost, this technology has currently not reached its commercialization stage. Poor durability is mainly attributed to carbon support corrosion during start-up and shut-down of the fuel cell. Corrosion of the electrocatalyst support materials has numerous adverse effects on the performance of the fuel cell, such as weakening of metal-support interaction which results in Pt detachment, dissolution and sintering. Hence, the electrochemical active surface area is significantly reduced. It is clear that there is an urgent need for more robust, high performance alternative support materials to carbon. In this study, metal nitrides and borides (TiN, ZrN, TiB₂ , ZrB₂ and LaB₆) were evaluated as potential support materials, in an attempt to improve the durability and performance of PEFCs."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/13376"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Chemical Engineering"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Evaluation of metal nitrides and borides as alternative electrocatalyst support materials for polymer electrolyte fuel cells"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc (Eng)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:22:38Z"}