The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 06, 2004
Filed:
May. 02, 2001
Volker Peinecke, Esslingen, DE;
Jorg von der Osten-Fabeck, Holzmaden, DE;
John Robert Gordon, Vancouver, CA;
Herwig Robert Haas, Vancouver, CA;
Ballard Power Systems Inc., Burnaby, CA;
Abstract
In a method of manufacturing a fluid diffusion layer for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, a surface of the fluid diffusion layer is abraded so that the topography of the fluid diffusion layer surface is rendered more uniform. The fluid diffusion layer comprises a porous substrate, and may also comprise a carbon-containing sublayer, as well as hydrophobic material. The particles formed by the abrading operation may be deposited into at least some of the pores of the substrate to form a support structure for the direct depositing of a catalyst onto the abraded surface.