Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Chemical Company, Ltd.

Kenzo Ishii

Toshiki Kahara

Jinichi Imahashi

Seizi Takeuchi

Akio Honji

Shimpei Matsuda

Shinpei Matsuda

Masato Takeuchi

Kohki Tamura

Hideo Okada

Sigeru Okabe

Fumito Nakajima

Hiroshi Tobita

Hirosi Tobita

In a fuel cell comprising an electrolyte-retaining matrix interposed between a pair of gas-diffusion electrodes, the matrix comprises particles or fibers of a substance unreactive with phosphoric acid and having electron-insulating properties and an inorganic binder.

Method of making fuel cell

Fuel cell

A fuel cell comprising a pair of gas diffusion electrodes, an electrolyte retaining matrix disposed between said gas diffusion electrodes, and a phosphoric acid electrolyte disposed within said matrix, characterized by using as matrix that comprising one or more metal oxides having electronic insulation and insolubility in phosphoric acid and a binder is excellent in phosphoric acid retaining ability and can be used for a long period of time without degradation of the performance of fuel cell.

A fuel cell electrode being substantially free from cracks on the surface of catalyst layer on the electrode and having a good electrode performance under the atmospheric pressure or under pressure when assembled into a fuel cell, which comprises a gas-diffusing electroconductive substrate with continued pores and a water-repellent catalyst layer comprising electroconductive submicron particles having a catalyst, electroconductive materials each having a volume 10.sup.3 -10.sup.10 as large as the volume of the largest particle of the submicron particles and, if necessary, having a catalyst, and a water-repellent polymer as a binder, the electroconductive submicron particles and the electroconductive materials being provided in a mixing ratio by volume of the former to the latter of 95-50 to 5-50.

Fuel cell electrode

Fuel cell with improved and stabilized electrode performance having at least one gas diffusion electrode, where the gas diffusion electrode comprises an electronconductive, gas-permeable substrate and an electrode catalyst uniformly distributed on the substrate, the electrode catalyst comprising colonies each consisting of not more than 20 primary particles of noble metal each having a size of 10-30 A and being uniformly distributed and deposited on carrier powder.

Growing community of inventors

Hitachi, Japan

Kenzo Ishii