Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Gregory Charles Garabedian

Belabbes Merzougui

Swathy Swathirajan

Michael P Balogh

Ion C Halalay

Mei Cai

Andrew Mark Mance

Michael Kevin Carpenter

Gholam-Abbas Nazri

John T Johnson

Romeo R Witherspoon

Jon C Halalay

The incorporation of tungsten-containing hydrogen spillover materials into a composite fuel cell anode can be helpful in preserving the carbon catalyst support materials in the fuel cell cathode during periods of hydrogen starvation. Preferred examples of such tungsten-containing hydrogen spillover materials are tungsten oxides and tungsten silicides. These materials, when physically mixed with catalyst-loaded carbon support particles in a composite anode, have shown the ability to promote hydrogen storage in amounts that, during a disruption of hydrogen gas flow, can postpone an anodic potential excursion into the oxygen evolution region for a period of at least several seconds.

Tungsten-containing hydrogen-storage materials for anodes of PEM fuel cells

An electrocatalyst for fuel cell applications includes a catalyst support and a noble metal or noble metal-based alloy catalyst supported upon the catalyst support. The catalyst support characteristically includes a Group IV-VI transition metal silicide with or without the mixing of carbon. A fuel cell incorporating the electrocatalyst into the anode and/or cathode is disclosed. Such fuel cell exhibit improved cycling and operating performance.

Supports for fuel cell catalysts based on transition metal silicides

The durability of a fuel cell having a polymer electrolyte membrane with an anode on one surface and an oxygen-reducing cathode on the other surface is improved by substituting electrically conductive titanium carbide or titanium nitride particles for carbon particles as oxygen-reducing and hydrogen-oxidizing catalyst supports. For example nanosize platinum particles deposited on nanosize titanium carbide or titanium nitride support particles provide good oxygen reduction capability and are corrosion resistant in an acid environment. It is preferred that the catalyst-on-titanium carbide (nitride) particles be mixed with non-catalyst-bearing carbon in the electrode material for improved electrode performance.

Supports for fuel cell catalysts

A method is disclosed for synthesizing a crystalline metal oxide powder material containing two or more uniformly distributed metal elements. Crystalline, water containing, oxygen containing inorganic acid salts of the metals are heated to liquefy the salts. The apparent solution contains a uniform mixture of the metal elements. The water is removed from the liquid and the resulting powder calcined in air to decompose the acid salts to a mixed metal crystalline oxide. The method is particularly useful to make doped LiNiOtype crystals using hydrated nitrate or nitrite salts of Li, Ni and the dopant elements. Examples of useful salts are LiNO.HO, Ni(NO).6HO, Co(NO).6HO, Al(NO).9HO, and Mg(NO).6HO.

Cathode material for lithium battery

In a preferred method, an electrode for a lead-acid battery is prepared in a new continuous process without the conventional curing step. The general procedure for preparing electrodes includes preparing a mixture (paste) comprising an active material precursor and an inhibitor. The active material precursor includes lead oxides having at least 10% by weight lead oxide in the form of Pb.sub.3 O.sub.4 (red lead), and a BET surface area of at least about 0.8 m.sup.2 /gram; desirably about 1.00 to 1.50 m.sup.2 /gram and preferably about 1.0 to 1.25 m.sup.2 /gram. The inhibitor prevents formation of tribasic lead sulfate and tetrabasic lead sulfate from the precursor material, except at elevated temperature. The paste is applied to electrode grids and reacted at elevated temperatures for between about 5 and about 30 minutes, to form the active material of the electrode for both positive and negative electrodes. Plates are then assembled into batteries and charged. Negative electrodes differ from the positive, mainly in the additives used.

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Warren, MI, United States of America

Gregory Charles Garabedian