Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

Jsr Corporation

Junichi Yano

Yuichiro Hama

Naoki Mitsuta

Masaru Iguchi

Masaaki Nanaumi

Tadashi Nishiyama

Nagayuki Kanaoka

Ichiro Tanaka

Hiroshi Shinkai

Toshiya Wakahoi

Katsuhiko Kohyama

Yoshihiro Nakanishi

Masaki Tani

Fusazumi Masaka

Kiyonori Kita

Tetsuya Komori

There is provided an electrode structure for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having excellent power generation performance and excellent durability and a method for manufacturing the same. Also provided is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell including the electrode structure and an electrical apparatus and a transport apparatus using the polymer electrolyte fuel cell. The electrode structure includes a polymer electrolyte membranesandwiched between a pair of electrode catalyst layers, 1 containing carbon particles supporting catalyst particles. The polymer electrolyte membraneis made of a sulfonated polyarylene-based polymer. The sulfonated polyarylene-based polymer has an ion exchange capacity in the range of 1.7 to 2.3 meq/g, and the polymer contains a component insoluble in N-methylpyrrolidone in an amount of 70% or less relative to the total amount of the polymer, after the polymer is subjected to heat treatment for exposing it under a constant temperature atmosphere of 12&#xb0; C. for 200 hours. A catalyst paste containing catalyst particles and a polymer electrolyte is coated on a sheet-like supportand dried to form an electrode catalyst layercontaining a solvent in an amount in the range of 0.5% or less by weight of the total membrane. The electrode catalyst layers, 3 are thermally transferred and joined on both sides of the polymer electrolyte membrane

Electrode structure for polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising sulfonated polyarylene-based polymer and method for manufactuing same

A membrane electrode assembly includes an anode, a cathode, and a solid polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode and the cathode. The anode and the cathode include gas diffusion layers and electrode catalyst layers. Mixture layers are provided over predetermined areas H around surfaces of the electrode catalyst layers. The electrode catalyst layers and adhesive layers are mixed in the mixture layers, respectively.

Membrane electrode assembly and fuel cell

The invention provides a manufacturing process for MEA that enables sufficient bond strength among an electrolyte membrane and electrode substrates even when the electrolyte membrane comprises a heat-resistant material such as an aromatic polymer. The process comprises pressure bonding an electrolyte membrane with catalyzed electrode substrates to form a membrane-electrode assembly, wherein a good solvent for the electrolyte membrane is applied to at least one of facing surfaces of the opposed electrode substrate and the electrolyte membrane prior to the pressure bonding. The electrolyte membrane may comprise a sulfonated aromatic polymer. The good solvent for the electrolyte membrane may be an aprotic dipolar solvent.

Manufacturing process for membrane-electrode assemblies

A membrane-electrode structure having an electrode catalyst layer adhered to a diffusion electrode, wherein the structure is manufactured by applying a catalyst paste onto a sheet substrate, and then dried to form a plurality of electrode catalyst layers. The electrode catalyst layers are thermally transferred onto each side of a polymer electrolyte membrane to form a laminated body. A first slurry is applied on a carbon substrate layer, and dried to form a water-repellent layer, and then, a second slurry is applied on the water-repellent layer, and dried to form a hydrophilic layer to form a diffusion electrode. The diffusion electrode is then laminated on the electrode catalyst layer through the hydrophilic layer, and then pressed under heating to integrate the laminated body and the diffusion electrode.

Method for producing membrane-electrode structure and polymer electrolyte fuel cell

In order to provide a membrane electrode assembly and a fuel cell in which the thickness of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is thin by enhancing self-protection of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, a membrane electrode assembly comprises a solid polymer electrolyte membrane and a pair of gas diffusion electrode layer having catalyst layers and gas diffusion layers. The catalyst layers of the gas diffusion electrode layer sandwich the solid polymer electrolyte membrane, one surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane is covered by the gas diffusion electrode layer and the other surface of the solid polymer electrolyte membrane extends over the gas diffusion electrode layer, and ends of the catalyst layer of one gas diffusion electrode layer are disposed to be offset to ends of the catalyst layer of the other gas diffusion electrode layer.

Growing community of inventors

Wako, Japan

Junichi Yano