Exceptional PolyFuel Membrane Durability Enables Over 5,000-Hour Portable Fuel Cell Lifetimes; Crucial Customer Requirement Well Surpassed as Hydrocarbon Technology Keeps on Going.

Publication: Business Wire

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COPYRIGHT 2005 Business Wire

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- A critical milestone in the accelerating development of fuel cells for portable electronics applications, such as PDAs, cell phones, or laptop computers, was reached recently as fuel cell membrane leader PolyFuel, Inc. announced that its hydrocarbon DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) membrane has passed the 5,000-hour mark in durability testing. Industry observers believe that commercially viable portable fuel cells must demonstrate lifetimes in the 2,000-3,000 hour range, a market barrier that PolyFuel has functionally eliminated for fuel cell manufacturers.

"Membrane durability has always been one of the key technical challenges faced by fuel cell manufacturers, as it translates directly to the lifetime of a fuel cell," said Jim Balcom, president and CEO of PolyFuel. "In applications targeted for portable fuel cells, consumers are acclimatized to battery lifetimes in the 2,000 to 3,000 hour range for their portable devices. Quite understandably, electronics manufacturers and fuel cell developers see this as a crucial benchmark." According to battery company product specifications, said Balcom, the charge-keeping capability of a typical lithium-ion battery degrades steadily over time and with use. After only one or...

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