Ford Motor Company Limited

Daimler Ag

Cellcentric Gmbh & Co. Kg

Toray Industries, Inc.

Yunsong Yang

Jing Li

Keping Wang

Owen Thomas

Carmen Chuy

Yuquan Zou

Scott McDermid

Daisuke Izuhara

Hiroaki Umeda

Alireza Roshanzamir

Sumit Kundu

Yuka Fujieda

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, which membrane electrode assembly comprises a membrane () with a catalyst layer () and a frame () arranged on the same side of the membrane () and a gap () between the catalyst layer () and the frame (). To allow an easy and cost-effective way for manufacturing such a membrane assembly, the manufacturing method comprises the following steps: *- Positioning a first decal layer (), which is made of the same material as the first catalyst layer (), on the first side of the membrane () in a way that the first decal layer () overlaps the frame (), *- positioning a second decal layer (), which is made of the same material as the second catalyst layer (), on the second side of the membrane (), *- pressing the first decal layer () and the second decal layer () against each other with the membrane () and the frame () positioned in-between.

Method for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for a fuel cell with catalyst-free edge to the frame; MEA and fuel cell with MEA

A method for manufacturing a membrane assembly for a fuel cell, which membrane assembly includes a membrane with a catalyst layer and a frame arranged on the same side of the membrane and a gap between the catalyst layer and the frame. To allow an easy and cost-effective way for manufacturing such a membrane assembly, the manufacturing method may include the following steps:

Method for manufacturing a membrane assembly for a fuel cell with catalyst-free edge to the frame; membrane assembly and fuel cell with membrane assembly

Structures and methods are disclosed for removing water, and particularly for preventing ice blockages, in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells comprising reactant vias that fluidly connect a reactant transition region to a reactant port. Water can be removed from the reactant via by making its surface superhydrophobic while incorporating at least one additional via with a hydrophilic surface in parallel therewith.

Via designs for removing water in fuel cell stacks

Improved additives can be used to prepare polymer electrolyte for membrane electrode assemblies in polymer electrolyte fuel cells. Use of these improved additives can not only improve durability and performance, but can also provide a marked performance improvement during initial conditioning of the fuel cells. The additives are chemical complexes comprising certain metal and organic ligand components.

Composite proton conducting electrolyte with improved additives for fuel cells

Simplified methods for preparing a catalyst coated membrane (CCM) for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells. The CCM has two reinforcing, expanded polymer sheets and the methods involve forming the electrolyte membrane from ionomer solution during assembly of the CCM. Thus, the conventional requirement to obtain, handle, and decal transfer solid polymer sheets in CCM preparation can be omitted. Further, CCM structures with improved mechanical strength can be prepared by orienting the expanded polymer sheets such that the stronger tensile strength direction of one is orthogonal to the other. Such improved CCM structures can be fabricated using the simplified methods.

Structures and preparation methods for catalyst coated membranes for fuel cells

An excellent polymer electrolyte composition has excellent chemical stability of being resistant to strong oxidizing atmosphere during operation of fuel cell, and achieves excellent proton conductivity under low-humidification conditions, excellent mechanical strength and physical durability. A polymer electrolyte membrane, a membrane electrode assembly, and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell each use the same. The polymer electrolyte composition contains an ionic group-containing polymer (A), a phosphorus-containing additive (B), and a nitrogen-containing aromatic additive (C), the phosphorus-containing additive (B) and the nitrogen-containing aromatic additive (C) being a compound represented by specific structural formulae.

Polymer electrolyte composition and polymer electrolyte membrane, polymer electrolyte membrane with catalyst layer, membrane electrode assembly, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell each using the same

Additives can be used to prepare polymer electrolyte for membrane electrode assemblies in polymer electrolyte fuel cells in order to improve both durability and performance. The additives are chemical complexes comprising certain metal and organic ligand components.

A small molecule or polymer additive can be used in preparation of a membrane electrode assembly to improve its durability and performance under low relative humidity in a fuel cell. Specifically, a method of forming a membrane electrode assembly comprising a proton exchange membrane, comprises providing an additive comprising at least two nitrogen atoms to the membrane electrode assembly.

Composite proton conducting membrane with low degradation and membrane electrode assembly for fuel cells

A proton conducting copolymer electrolyte with competitive voltage versus current density characteristics and superior durability comprises a proton conducting hydrophilic domain comprising a sulfonated poly(phenylene) polymer, and a hydrophobic domain comprising a main chain comprising a plurality of bonded arylene groups wherein essentially all of the bonds in the main chain of the copolymer are carbon-carbon or, to a certain extent, carbon-sulfone bonds. More particularly, none of the bonds in the chains of the copolymer are ether bonds. Due to the absence of ether bonds, the copolymer electrolyte is less susceptible to degradation in solid polymer fuel cells.

Sulfonated poly(phenylene) copolymer electrolyte for fuel cells

Ligand additives having two or more coordination sites in close proximity can be used in the polymer electrolyte of membrane electrode assemblies in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells in order to reduce the dissolution of catalyst, particularly from the cathode, and hence reduce fuel cell degradation over time.

Additives to mitigate catalyst layer degradation in fuel cells

A proton conducting polymer electrolyte comprising a proton conducting ionomer cross-linked with an amount of a copolymer additive comprising cross-linking functional groups and other functional groups (e.g. proton carriers, chelating agents, radical scavengers) shows improved durability over the ionomer alone and provides for more stable inclusion of these other functional groups. The copolymer additive comprises at least two types of metal oxide monomers, one having cross-linking functional groups and the other having the other functional groups.

Growing community of inventors

Surrey, Canada

Yunsong Yang