The better you understand MEAs the better we can help you. Use this FAQ to find answers to your Gore MEA-related questions.
1. What is an MEA and why is it important?
An MEA is considered the "heart" of a PEM fuel cell. It is composed of a film of ion exchange polymer (the membrane) and two electrodes, to convert fuel into electricity. A fuel cell stack may contain tens to hundreds of MEAs.
2. What is unique about Gore MEAs?
Gore MEAs are unlike any other available MEAs for three reasons:
3. How do Gore MEAs provide these advantages?
Through the use of a) Gore's patented composite membrane reinforcement and b) unique, proprietary ionomers and catalysts.
4. Where does Gore see the biggest fuel-cell markets?
Gore has a dominant market share in all of the major PEM fuel-cell markets (stationary, portable, and transportation). More than 80 percent of the public stationary PEM fuel-cell demonstration and commercial systems placed in the field over the past three years have used Gore MEAs.
5. Does Gore sell the same MEAs in every market?
Gore offers different lines of MEAs that are optimized to meet each application's unique needs. For example, Series 56 MEAs for stationary applications combine durability and power density to meet the demanding performance requirements of stationary power markets. The features and benefits of each Gore MEA will continue to evolve as the needs of the marketplace emerge.
6. How often will Gore introduce new products?
Gore's vast experience producing and developing MEAs through close relationships with our customers has resulted in rapid advancement of MEA technology. Gore will introduce new MEA products every six to twelve months to continue to make our MEAs even more powerful, more dependable, and more readily available.
7. Are Gore MEAs available for commercial purchase?
Yes, to qualified fuel-cell system builders and developers.
8. What is the expected life of a Gore MEA?
Field trials have resulted in lifetimes of more than 10,000 hours, but the life of any MEA depends on system design and operation. In automotive applications, for example, 5,000 hours is the equivalent of more than 100,000 miles; in a residential application, 5,000 hours is less than one year. Gore's goal for the stationary markets is 40,000 hours with products currently in development.
9. Can Gore produce MEAs in volume?
Absolutely. Gore has had high-volume MEA manufacturing capability since 1995. Gore is the largest supplier to the industry, and its manufacturing capacity has always exceeded total industry demand. Currently, MEAs are produced on fully automated and redundant production lines in the United States and Japan, which can make hundreds of thousands of square meters of MEAs per year.
10. Will Gore make fuel-cell stacks?
No. Gore's business model is clearly focused on being the leading supplier of MEAs and related PEM fuel cell components. This will allow Gore to achieve the highest volume production and allow the benefits of the resulting economies of scale to be applied to component cost reduction. Gore has no plans to compete with its customers by forward integrating into fuel-cell stack design or development
11. Who are Gore's customers?
The majority of the industry's developers and manufacturers use Gore MEAs in their fuel cells. Gore will also support anyone who is on a path toward commercializing a fuel cell.
12. Does Gore provide technical assistance?
Yes. All of Gore's customers and development partners benefit from our highly experienced staff of electrochemists, materials scientists, and system integrators. Gore's Fuel Cell Technologies Team has a dedicated staff of more than 100 specialists, including the world's leading experts in PEM fuel cell operation. These experts are available to help with a wide variety of issues and problems.
13. Does Gore recycle MEAs?
Yes. Gore is a world leader in fluoropolymer recycling. Gore offers a catalyst recovery program to reclaim precious metals from Gore MEAs for its customers.
14. Does Gore offer MEAs for high-temperature or direct methanol fuel cells?
There will be significant benefits to running PEM fuel cells at higher temperatures (120 - 160°C); however, the technology is highly complex and risky. Gore has active technology-development efforts in these areas and believes that high-temperature fuel cells will ultimately become viable in many applications.
15. What is so unique about Gore's corporate culture?
Gore has nearly 50 years of technology and manufacturing experience, nearly $2 billion in annual sales, and more than 7,500 associates in 45 locations worldwide. And yet, every Gore team is small (fewer than 200 people), and everyone is equal in a "lattice" organization with no hierarchy or organizational charts. Each business unit operates as an entrepreneurial organization, with team-based developments and one-on-one communication, but with the support of a well-established multinational business enterprise.