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:
Sep. 01, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 07, 2005
Ichiro Terada, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoru Hommura, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuyuki Kasahara, Kanagawa, JP;
Katsuya Ueno, Kanagawa, JP;
Ichiro Terada, Kanagawa, JP;
Satoru Hommura, Kanagawa, JP;
Nobuyuki Kasahara, Kanagawa, JP;
Katsuya Ueno, Kanagawa, JP;
Asahi Glass Company, Limited, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A thickened ion exchange polymer dispersion is obtained by applying ultrasonic vibration or a shearing force to an ion exchange polymer dispersion having a fluorinated polymer having sulfonic acid groups as an ion exchange polymer uniformly dispersed in a dispersion medium so that the viscosity of the dispersion at 25° C. at a shear rate of 10 (1/s) increases 2-2000 times in a thickening step. When formed into a membrane, the dispersion can forms an ion exchange membrane having a uniform and small thickness, high strength, which is free from cracking and shows constant swelling in water and steam. Further, a layer formed by applying a coating solution containing this dispersion and a catalyst powder comprising catalyst metal particles and a carbon support loaded with the catalyst metal particles to a substrate can be used to prepare a membrane-electrode assembly as a catalyst layer for at least one of the cathode and the anode by providing the catalyst layer adjacently to an ion exchange membrane. Because the catalyst layer is highly strong, has few defects and is excellently smooth, a high-performance membrane-electrode assembly for solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells can be obtained.