PolyFuel's new fuel cell design delivers 40 per cent more power than all previous cells – beating the industry record.

The new Ultra-thin 20-Micron Membrane Material produces 200 milliwatts of peak power per square centimeter of material at 70C, a development that will mean longer lasting and smaller fuel cells for the future.

Ultra-thin PolyFuel cell membranes were proven, in tests by Samsung, to me far more efficient than traditional fluorocarbon polymers.

"The characteristics of PolyFuel’s hydrocarbon membrane chemistry, such as high power density, low methanol crossover, and now high water back diffusion, allow for significantly improved flexibility in the design of portable fuel cells," said Jim Balcom, chief executive officer of PolyFuel.

To obtain the performance results the researchers used a commercially-available Johnson Matthey catalyst, and commercially-available gas diffusion layers (GDLs).

The catalyst was loaded to a level of 5.6 milligrams of platinum per square centimetre.

Fuel cells are predicted to take over from conventional batteries in the next three to four years as portable electronic goods are becoming ever more demanding.

A report by Frost and Sullivan recently predicted that sales of consumer fuel cells will reach over 38 million units by 2009 while many major consumer electronics companies are investing in fuel cell technology.

Ÿ Adfero Ltd