United Technologies Corporation

International Fuel Cells, LLC

Douglas A Landsman

Francis J Luczak

Vinod M Jalan

Paul A Plasse

John C Trocciola

John M Lee

Edward I Thiery

Electrodes for an alkaline fuel cell are disclosed. The electrodes include a porous substrate and a catalyst layer supported on the substrate. The catalyst layer includes catalyst particles for catalyzing the electrochemical reaction occurring at the electrode, a hydrophobic binder for providing a network of hydrophobic gas passages communicating with the catalyst particles and hydrophilic catalytically inactive particles for providing a network of liquid transport pathways through the catalyst layer. The liquid transport pathways improve liquid transport through the catalyst layer and electrodes of the present invention provide improved resistance to electrode flooding and electrolyte pumping.

High current alkaline fuel cell electrodes

Electrodes for an acid fuel cell are disclosed. The electrodes include a porous substrate and a catalyst layer supported on the substrate. The catalyst layer includes catalyst particles, a hydrophobic binder for providing a network of hydrophobic gas passages communicating with the catalyst particles and hydrophilic catalytically inactive particles for providing a network of liquid transport passages throughout the catalyst layer. The electrodes provide improved resistance to flooding and pumping and may be operated at high current density without developing severe concentration polarization.

High current acid fuel cell electrodes

An improved ternary alloy catalyst for fuel cells containing platinum and gallium. The method of fabricating the catalyst in a high surface area supportive form is also described. The resultant fuel cell catalyst displays a substantial resistance to sintering during operation combined with a resistance to a chemical dissolution during operation. These enhancements permit improved long-term operation of fuel cells.

Ternary fuel cell catalyst containing platinum and gallium

A ternary alloy catalyst for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen is disclosed. Various methods of making the catalyst are developed. The catalyst has an ordered structure which improves stability and the specific activity of the catalyst.

Ordered ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum and cobalt

Ordered ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum and cobalt and

An improved ternary noble metal-containing, alloy catalyst which has a catalytic activity for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen greater than two and one-half times that of the supported unalloyed noble metal alone. In addition, a disclosure of the method of preparing said catalyst is by intimately contacting two metallic elements with a supported noble metal, then heating this material to form the ternary alloy catalyst. This catalyst has particular utility for the electrochemical reduction of oxygen which makes it particularly useful as a cathode in acid fuel cells. The preferred embodiment of this catalyst is finely divided platinum alloyed with chromium and cobalt supported on an electrically conductive carbon-black support material.

Method for making ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum cobalt

Anodes having NiCo.sub.2 O.sub.4 catalyst used in the electrohydrodimerization of acrylonitrile to adiponitrile result in anode voltage requirements of less than about 2000 millivolts at 100 milliamperes per square centimeter of anode area. Typically, oxygen evolving anodes comprised of lead or carbon steel are utilized in the hydrodimerization of acrylonitrile to adiponitrile resulting in high voltage requirements. Anodes containing NiCo.sub.2 O.sub.4 catalyst require substantially reduced voltages and perform well in the conventional electrochemical adiponitrile production environment.

Method for the electrochemical production of adiponitrile using anodes

Ternary fuel cell catalysts containing platinum, cobalt and chromium

A novel and improved noble metal-chromium alloy catalyst is disclosed with catalytic oxygen reduction activity at least twice that of the unalloyed noble metal. The noble metal-chromium alloy catalyst disclosed has particular utility as an electrocatalyst for the reduction of oxygen which makes it particularly useful as a cathode catalyst in an acid fuel cell.

Process using noble metal-chromium alloy catalysts in an electrochemical

Noble metal-chromium alloy catalysts and electrochemical cell

A novel and improved fuel cell electrode includes a finely divided noble metal-base metal alloy catalyst. The catalytic activity of noble metal in the electrode is greater than the catalytic activity of the same unalloyed noble metal. Theoretically any base metal may be advantageously alloyed with the noble metal and will yield improved catalytic activity. Preferably the finely divided alloy is supported.

Electrochemical cell electrodes incorporating noble metal-base metal

Finely divided noble metal-refractory metal alloys and methods for making them are disclosed. As catalysts these alloys have greater activity than a catalyst of the same unalloyed noble metal and may be advantageously used as electrodes for fuel cells particularly when supported. The method for making supported catalysts involves a simple and inexpensive procedure for converting a supported, finely divided noble metal catalyst to the desired alloy. In a preferred embodiment the process includes intimately contacting the supported noble metal catalyst with a finely divided refractory metal oxide, the metallic component of which is capable of enhancing the activity of the catalyst when alloyed therewith, and then heating to a sufficiently high temperature, preferably in a reducing atmosphere, to reduce the oxide and simultaneously form a finely divided, supported alloy of the noble metal and the metallic component of the oxide.

Noble metal-refractory metal alloys as catalysts and method for making

An electrochemical cell electrode, having clearly segregated and structured hydrophobic gas channels and electrolyte-filled catalyst channels is provided in which the size and shape of the various passages are such that they offer little resistance to the passage of reactants and products. The electrode consists of alternate layers of porous hydrophobic material and porous hydrophilic catalyst-containing material. The electrode is formed by first depositing the alternate layers of materials and then cutting the structure in a plane at right angles to the plane of deposition at a thickness equal to that of the end product. Electrodes of varying size can be constructed of panels so produced.

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West Hartford, CT, United States of America

Douglas A Landsman