Method of recovering electrolyte membrane from fuel cell and apparatus

Abstract

The method of the present invention allows used electrolyte membranes to be easily recovered from fuel cells of relatively simple structure. A stack of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (10) is decomposed into unit cells (20), each unit cell (20) consisting of an electrolyte membrane 11 and electrodes (12,13). Each unit cell (20) is soaked in a soaking tank (51) filled with methanol and left for approximately ten minutes (see FIG. 5A). The soaking process substitutes water included in the electrolyte membrane (11) of the unit cell (20) by methanol and expands and deforms the electrolyte membrane (11), thereby dissolving a solid material caused by a proton-conductive polymer electrolyte solution working as an adhesive of joining the electrolyte membrane (11) with the electrodes (12,13). This weakens the adhesive forces at the interfaces between the electrolyte membrane (11) and the electrodes (12,13) and makes the electrolyte membrane (11) easily separable from the electrodes (12,13). After the electrolyte membrane (11) is separated from the electrodes (12,13) in a separation tank (53) (see FIG. 5B), the separated electrolyte membrane (11) is soaked in a substitution tank (55) filled with water (see FIG. 5C). Methanol included in the separated electrolyte membrane (11) is again substituted by water in the substitution tank (55). After the substitution, the electrolyte membrane (11) is placed in a wash tank (57) filled with aqueous hydrogen peroxide for cleaning (see FIG. 5D).