Johnson Matthey Public Limited Company

Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells Limited

Ballard Power Systems Corporation

Technical Fibre Products Limited

Johnson Matthey Hydrogen Technologies Limited

Thomas Robertson Ralph

John Malcolm Gascoyne

Graham Alan Hards

David Thompsett

Robert Jeffrey Coleman

David Edward Barnwell

David P Wilkinson

Sarah Caroline Ball

Susan Joy Cooper

Natalia V Plechkova

Brian Ronald Theobald

Karen Leanne Brown

Sam Haig

Karen Leanne Hogarth

Henry H Voss

Stephen A Campbell

Shanna Denine Knights

Lorenz Gubler

Keith B Prater

Robert J Potter

Silvain Buche

Nigel Julian Walker

Adam John Hodgkinson

Jan Denton

Jared L Taylor

Stephen John Edwards

Peter Anthony Trew

Christopher James Barnett

Peter Antony Trew

Jeffrey S Buchanan

Peter Gray

Mayur Kishorbhai Mistry

A process for the recovery of a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer from a component comprising a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer is disclosed, the process comprising immersing the component comprising the perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer in a solvent comprising an aliphatic diol and heating. Also disclosed is the use of the recovered perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer, for example in to prepared a proton conducting membrane or a catalyst ink.

Process

Process for the recovery of ionomer

A platinum alloy catalyst PtXY, wherein X is nickel, cobalt, chromium, copper, titanium or manganese and Y is tantalum or niobium, characterised in that in the alloy the atomic percentage of platinum is 46-75 at %, of X is 1-49 at % and of Y is 1-35 at %; provided that the alloy is not 66 at % Pt20 at % Cr14 at % Ta or 50 at % Pt, 25 at % Co, 25 at % Ta is disclosed. The catalyst has particular use as an oxygen reduction catalyst in fuel cells, and in particular in phosphoric acid fuel cells.

Ternary platinum alloy catalyst

A membrane, suitable for use in a fuel cell comprises:

Membrane structure

A membrane electrode assembly having a peripheral edge region and a central region. The membrane electrode assembly comprises an ion-conducting membrane, first and second electrocatalyst layers disposed either side of the ion-conducting membrane, and first and second gas diffusion layers disposed either side of the first and second electrocatalyst layers respectively. The membrane electrode assembly further comprises an edge protection member, the edge protection member comprising a film layer, a bonding layer, and one or more additives selected from the group consisting of free radical decomposition catalyst, self regenerating antioxidant, hydrogen donors (H-donor) primary antioxidant, free radical scavenger secondary antioxidant, oxygen absorbers (oxygen scavenger) and elemental palladium. The edge protection member is positioned between the membrane and the first and/or second gas diffusion layer at the peripheral edge region of the membrane electrode assembly, and the edge protection member overlaps the first and/or second electrocatalyst layers.

Membrane electrode assembly

A novel anode structure for making a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) tolerant to incidences of cell reversal includes an electrocatalyst layer having at least one electrocatalyst and at least one proton conducting polymer. The anode structure also includes one or more water retaining material(s), such as carbon nanofibers, embedded within the electrocatalyst layer.

Water-retaining anode structure for a fuel cell

The present invention relates to a membrane electrode assembly wherein each gas diffusion substrate comprises a porous electrically conductive gasket member is located on the first and second planar faces of a peripheral portion of the sheet material. The electrocatalyst layers are not present adjacent to the gasket members and the edge of the membrane is sandwiched between the gasket members. The invention further relates to integrated cell assemblies and fuel cell stacks comprising membrane electrode assemblies according to the invention.

Substrate

The present invention relates to a composite membrane comprising at least one ion-conducting polymer and a network of randomly orientated individual fibers, wherein there is a continuous region of the membrane at one or both of the membrane faces wherein the density of fibers is lower than the density of fibers in the membrane as a whole. The invention further relates to processes for manufacturing membranes according to the invention, and membrane electrode assemblies comprising membranes according to the invention.

Composite membrane

A novel flexible non-woven carbon fibre gas diffusion substrate comprising a plurality of first carbon fibres orientated in the x-, y- and optionally z-directions, said first fibres being bonded with a thermoplastic polymeric substance, and a carbon based filler material, characterised, in that the flexible non-woven carbon fibre gas diffusion substrate has a total density of greater than 0.35 g/cm, and a gas diffusion electrode obtained therefrom is disclosed. Also disclosed is a process for the manufacture of the substrate and electrode.

Gas diffusion substrate

A fuel cell gas diffusion substrate has primary fibres, secondary fibres and one or more thermoplastic polymers for binding the primary and secondary fibres, characterized in that the secondary fibers are in the form of carbon nanofibers, and a gas diffusion electrode and membrane electrode assembly prepared therefrom are disclosed.

In a solid polymer fuel cell series, various circumstances can result in the fuel cell being driven into voltage reversal. For instance, cell voltage reversal can occur if that cell receives an inadequate supply of fuel (for example, fuel starvation). In order to pass current during fuel starvation, reactions other than fuel oxidation may take place at the fuel cell anode, including water electrolysis and oxidation of anode components. The latter may result in significant degradation of the anode. Such fuel cells can be made more tolerant to cell reversal by promoting water electrolysis over anode component oxidation at the anode. This can be accomplished by incorporating a catalyst composition at the anode to promote the water electrolysis reaction, in addition to the typical anode electrocatalyst for promoting fuel oxidation.

Solid polymer fuel cell with improved voltage reversal tolerance

A novel non-woven fiber web comprising a plurality of first fibers orientated in the x-, y-, and optionally z-directions, said first fibers being bonded with a polymeric substance, characterised in that one or more continuous strands are embedded within the sub-surface layer of the non-woven fiber web, each continuous strand comprising a plurality of second carbon fibers, is disclosed. A gas diffusion substrate, electrode and membrane electrode assembly comprising said web is also disclosed, all of which may have application in electrochemical devices, for example in a fuel cell.

Non-woven fiber webs

A novel gas diffusion substrate comprising a porous structure and a filler material, characterised in that the filler material comprises a base filler material which is electrically conducting and carbonaceous and one or more modifier materials which ate hydrophilic in nature relative to the base filler material; a porous gas diffusion electrode comprising said substrate and the use of said substrate or electrode in a fuel cell is disclosed.

Gas diffusion substrates

A novel composite membrane comprising a porous substrate of randomly orientated individual fibres and at least one ion conducting polymer, characterised in that the ion conducting polymer is embedded within the porous substrate, a process for its preparation and its use, particularly in fuel cells is disclosed.

Growing community of inventors

Reading, United Kingdom

Thomas Robertson Ralph