Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Bdf IP Holdings Ltd.

John Robert Gordon

Herwig Haas

Kelvin Keen-Ven Fong

David P Wilkinson

Michael T Davis

Volker Peinecke

Haijiang Wang

Lynn C Erickson

J&uuml;rgen Stumper

Bien Hung Chiem

Paul Beattie

Sheilah Neumann

Paul Kozak

Sonia Geillis Wong-Cheung

Jorg Von Der Osten-Fabeck

Bien Chiem

Paul D Beattie

Michael Todd Davis

In a method of manufacturing a fluid diffusion layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a surface of the fluid diffusion layer is abraded so that the topography of the fluid diffusion layer surface is rendered more uniform. The fluid diffusion layer comprises a porous substrate, and may also comprise a carbon-containing sublayer, as well as hydrophobic material. The particles formed by the abrading operation may be deposited into at least some of the pores of the substrate to form a support structure for the direct depositing of a catalyst onto the abraded surface.

Abraded fluid diffusion layer for an electrochemical fuel cell

The present methods make fluid diffusion layers having reduced surface roughness. The methods used for adhering the loading material to the substrate surface can reduce the average surface roughness of the fluid diffusion layers, thereby reducing leaks in and damage to ion exchange membranes. When fluid diffusion layers and electrodes having reduced surface roughness are employed in membrane electrode assemblies, better reliability and performance are obtained. A method of calculating the surface roughness of a fluid diffusion layer may be used.

Method of making fluid diffusion layers and electrodes having reduced surface roughness

Fluid diffusion layers with favorable mechanical and electrical properties are prepared for fuel cell electrodes by impregnating a porous carbonaceous web with a carbonizable polymer having pyrrolidone functionality and then carbonizing the pyrrolidone polymer. The polymer having pyrrolidone functionality is stabilized against vaporization by use of an oxidization step prior to carbonization. The fluid diffusion layers are particularly suitable for use as gas diffusion layers in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells.

Fluid diffusion layers for fuel cells

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Vancouver, Canada

John Robert Gordon