Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

Saori Okada

Hiroyuki Morioka

Haruna Kurata

Kenichiro Oota

Yasuhiro Haba

Keiichi Iio

Catalyst particles includes a catalyst material and carbon particles supporting the catalyst material. The catalyst particles has a water content of 4.8 mass % or more and 20 mass % or less. A manufacturing method of catalyst particles includes exposing catalyst particles, which are carbon particles supporting a catalyst material, to a humidified atmosphere, prior to dispersing the carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte in a solvent for a catalyst ink.

Catalyst particles, catalyst ink, electrode catalyst layer for fuel cells, membrane electrode assembly, polymer electrolyte fuel cell, method for producing catalyst particles and method for producing catalyst ink

The present invention provides a manufacturing method of an electrode catalyst layer which contains a catalyst, carbon particles and a polymer electrolyte, wherein an oxide type of non-platinum catalyst is used as the catalyst and a fuel cell employing the electrode catalyst layer achieves a high level of power generation performance. The manufacturing method of the electrode catalyst layer of the present invention includes at least: preparing a first catalyst ink, in which a catalyst, first carbon particles and a first polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a first solvent, drying the first catalyst ink to form complex particles, preparing a second catalyst ink, in which the complex particles, second carbon particles and a second polymer electrolyte are dispersed in a second solvent, and coating the second catalyst ink on a substrate to form the electrode catalyst layer.

Manufacturing method of electrode catalyst layer, membrane electrode assembly using the same, fuel cell using the same and complex particles

According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the use ratio of active sites in a catalyst having oxygen reduction activity so as to provide a cathode catalyst layer and MEA for a fuel cell with high a level of power generation performance. The present invention includes a process of introducing a functional group into a surface of the catalystwhich has oxygen reduction activity and a process of blending the catalystwith the functional group on the surface together with an electron conductive material and a proton conductive polymer electrolyte to prepare a catalyst ink for forming the cathode catalyst layer for the fuel cell.

Cathode catalyst layer, manufacturing method thereof and membrane electrode assembly

[Problem] To provide a membrane and electrode assembly comprising a catalyst layer that improves water holding properties and exhibits high power generation characteristics even in low humidified conditions without inhibiting removal of the water generated by the electrode reaction, etc. and its manufacturing method. [Solution] The membrane and electrode assembly produced by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane between a pair of catalyst layers is provided, in which the catalyst layer comprises a polymer electrolyte and particles carrying a catalyst material, and in which the proportion of the polymer electrolyte expressed by {(mass of polymer electrolyte)/(mass of particles in particles carrying catalyst material)} in the catalyst layer is decreased toward the polymer electrolyte membrane (the inside) from the surface of the catalyst layer (the outside).

Membrane and electrode assembly and method of producing the same, and polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell

The present invention provides a method for manufacturing an electrode catalyst layer for a fuel cell which includes a polymer electrolyte, a catalyst material and carbon particles, wherein the electrode catalyst layer employs a non-precious metal catalyst and has a high level of power generation performance. The electrode catalyst layer is used as a pair of electrode catalyst layers in a fuel cell in which a polymer electrolyte membrane is interposed between the pair of the electrode catalyst layers which are further interposed between a pair of gas diffusion layers. The method of the present invention has such a feature that the catalyst material or the carbon particles are preliminarily embedded in the polymer electrolyte.

Manufacturing method of electrode catalyst layer for fuel cell

To provide a membrane and electrode assembly comprising a catalyst layer that improves water holding properties and exhibits high power generation characteristics even in low humidified conditions without inhibiting the diffusibility of reaction gas, the removal of the water generated by the electrode reaction, and its manufacturing method. There is provided a membrane and electrode assembly produced by sandwiching a polymer electrolyte membrane between a pair of catalyst layers, in which the catalyst layer comprises a polymer electrolyte and particles carrying a catalyst material, and in which the volume of fine pores having a diameter of 1.0 &#x3bc;m or smaller is increased toward the polymer electrolyte membrane from the surface of the catalyst layer.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Saori Okada