Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Limited

Technical Fibre Products Limited

Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Imerys Graphite & Carbon Switzerland Ltd.

Johnson Matthey Hydrogen Technologies Limited

Timcal Ltd.

Jonathan David Brereton Sharman

Ian Roy Harkness

Adam John Hodgkinson

Graham Alan Hards

Edward Anthony Wright

Michael Jeschke

Silvain Buche

Catherine Helen De Rouffignac

David Thompsett

Michael Spahr

Stephen Robert Tennison

Michael Ian Petch

Sarah Caroline Ball

Alejandro Martinez Bonastre

Julia Margaret Rowe

Geoffrey Spikes

Nigel Julian Walker

Brian Ronald Charles Theobald

Brian Ronald Theobald

Beverley Sowerby

Geoffrey Hugh Spikes

Alexander Martin Willcocks

Jonathan Charles Frost

Nadia Michele Permogorov

Andrew James Fletcher

James Matthew Cash

Marlene Rodlert

Victoria Jane Wright

Hanna Katariina Rajantie

David Emmerson Brown

Rosemary Fisher

Vlad Strelko

George Thomas Quayle

Julian Andrew Siodlak

Michael E Spahr

Fletcher Andrew James James

David Emerson Brown

An electrocatalyst material comprising: (i) a support material comprising a plurality of individual support particles or aggregates; (ii) first particles comprising a first metal and an alloying metal; and (iii) second particles consisting of a second metal or a second metal oxide, wherein the second metal is platinum or iridium; wherein each individual support particle or aggregate has dispersed thereon first particles and second particles, characterised in that the mean average particle size of the second particles is smaller than the mean average particle size of the first particles is disclosed. The electrocatalyst material has particular use in an electrode, such as the cathode, of an electrochemical cell, such as a fuel cell.

Catalyst

An ion-conducting membrane includes: (i) a first ion-conducting layer including one or more first ion-conducting polymers; and (ii) a barrier layer including graphene-based platelets.

Ion-conducting membrane

A porous gas diffusion substrate that includes: (a) a porous non-woven web comprising carbon fibers; and (b) a carbonaceous residue; wherein the carbonaceous residue is embedded within the porous non-woven web; (c) a fluorinated polymer; and (d) inert particles wherein at least some of the carbon fibers of the porous non-woven web have a coating comprising the fluorinated polymer and inert particles is disclosed.

Gas diffusion substrate

A reinforced catalyst layer assembly, suitably for use in a fuel cell, said reinforced catalyst layer assembly comprising:

Catalyst layer assembly

A non-woven gas diffusion substrate including: (i) a non-woven carbon fiber web; (ii) a carbon particulate material; and 10 (iii) a hydrophobic binder characterized in that the non-woven gas diffusion substrate further includes a conductive material having a x:y aspect ratio from 0.01 to 100, a x:z aspect ratio of at least 500 and a y:z aspect ratio of at least 500.

A reinforced catalyst layer assembly, suitably for use in a fuel cell, said reinforced catalyst layer assembly comprising: (i) a planar reinforcing component consisting of a porous material having pores extending through the thickness of the material in the z-direction, and (ii) a first catalyst component comprising a first catalyst material and a first ion-conducting material, characterized in that the first catalyst component is at least partially embedded within the planar reinforcing component, forming a first catalyst layer having a first surface and a second surface is disclosed.

A catalytic material includes (i) a support material and (ii) a thin film catalyst coating having an inner face adjacent to the support material and an outer face, the thin film catalyst coating having a mean thickness of &#x2266;8 nm, and wherein at least 40% of the support material surface area is covered by the thin film catalyst coating; and wherein the thin film catalyst coating includes a first metal and one or more second metals, and wherein the atomic percentage of first metal in the thin film catalyst coating is not uniform through the thickness of the thin film catalyst coating.

Thin film catalytic material for use in fuel

A catalyst includes (i) a primary metal or alloy or mixture including the primary metal, and (ii) an electrically conductive carbon support material for the primary metal or alloy or mixture including the primary metal, wherein the carbon support material: (a) has a specific surface area (BET) of 100-600 m/g, and (b) has a micropore area of 10-90 m/g.

Carbon supported catalyst

A component for use in assembling a membrane electrode assembly comprises a microporous layer supported on a transfer substrate, wherein the microporous layer comprises carbon particles and a hydrophobic polymer, and a polymer layer is present on the microporous layer. A process for preparing a component for use in assembling a membrane electrode assembly includes forming the microporous layer on the transfer substrate and applying a polymer layer on the microporous layer. The microporous layer may also be deposited onto a gas diffusion substrate for use in the membrane electrode assembly.

Microporous Layer

A sealed and/or reinforced membrane electrode assembly is disclosed. Encapsulation films, each comprising a backing layer and an adhesive layer, are positioned on the edges of at least one face of each gas diffusion substrate such that the adhesive layers impregnate into each gas diffusion substrate. Methods of forming sealed and/or reinforced membrane electrode assemblies are also disclosed.

Sealing of a membrane electrode assembly

A porous catalyst layer formed from discrete particles of unsupported metal, wherein at least 80%, suitably at least 90%, of the discrete particles have a mass of from 1 to 1000 zeptograms, and wherein the catalyst layer has a metal volume fraction of less than 30% and a metal loading of less than 0.09 mg/cmis disclosed. The catalyst layer is suitable for use in fuel cells and other electrochemical applications.

Catalyst layer

An MEA comprising: (i) a central first conductive gas diffusion substrate having a first face and a second face; (ii) first and second catalyst layers each having a first and second face and wherein the first face of the first catalyst layer is in contact with the first face of the gas diffusion substrate and the first face of the second catalyst layer is in contact with the second face of the gas diffusion substrate; (iii) first and second electrolyte layers each having a first and second face and wherein the first face of the first electrolyte layer is in contact with the second face of the first catalyst layer and the first face of the second electrolyte layer is in contact with the second face of the second catalyst layer; (iv) third and fourth catalyst layers each having a first and second face and wherein the first face of the third catalyst layer is in contact with the second face of the first electrolyte layer and the first face of the fourth catalyst layer is in contact with the second face of the second electrolyte layer; and (v) first and second porous current collecting means each having a thickness of less than 400 m, and each having a first and second face and wherein the first face of the first current collecting means is in contact with the second face of the third catalyst layer and the first face of the second current collecting means is in contact with the second face of the fourth catalyst layer is disclosed and a fuel cell comprising such an MEA.

Fuel cell assembly

A gas diffusion substrate includes a non-woven network of carbon fibres, the carbon fibres are graphitised but the non-woven network has not been subjected to a graphitisation process. A mixture of graphitic particles and hydrophobic polymer is disposed within the network. The longest dimension of at least 90% of the graphitic particles is less than 100 &#x3bc;m. A process for manufacturing gas diffusion substrates includes depositing a slurry of graphitised carbon fibres onto a porous bed forming a wet fibre network, preparing a suspension of graphitic particles and hydrophobic polymer, applying onto, and pulling the suspension into, the network, and drying and firing the network. Another process includes mixing a first slurry of graphitic particles and hydrophobic polymer with a second slurry of graphitised carbon fibres and liquid forming a third slurry, depositing the third slurry onto a porous bed forming a fibre-containing layer, and drying and firing the layer.

Growing community of inventors

Reading, United Kingdom

Jonathan David Brereton Sharman