JP2014194853A - Manufacturing device for electrolyte membrane with gasket, manufacturing method for electrolyte membrane with gasket, and electrolyte membrane with gasket - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket having a stable form.SOLUTION: A manufacturing device for an electrolyte membrane with a gasket manufactures an electrolyte membrane with a gasket by jointing a catalyst layer apply electrolyte membrane in which a catalyst layer 11 is provided in a predetermined region of an electrolyte membrane 12 to a gasket provided with an opening part having a shape corresponding to the predetermined region. It includes a pair of rollers 21 which are pasted together by pinching the catalyst layer apply electrolyte membrane and the gasket for press-contacting, a protruding part 25 which is provided on a surface of one roller 21 to be engaged with the opening part of the gasket, in the pair of rollers 21 facing each other, a metal blade 26 having heating means of a height equal to the protruding part 25 or higher, having a shape larger than the opening part 131, and a roller control part which operates the pair of rollers 21 so that, in a state in which the protruding part 25 is engaged with the opening part 131, the gasket is thermally fused and cut with a nip pressure of the pair of rollers 21 while welded to an end part of the catalyst layer apply electrolyte membrane 10 for sealing.

Description

  The present invention relates to a gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus, a gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing method, and a gasketed electrolyte membrane, and in particular, a gasket member is disposed on the electrolyte membrane, the gasket member is thermally melted and cut, and a catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane ( The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket, a method for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket, and an electrolyte membrane with gasket, which are attached to and sealed on a catalyst coated membranes (hereinafter also referred to simply as CCM).

In the movement toward building a decarbonized society, hydrogen is attracting attention as an intermediate energy carrier. Development of a fuel cell is underway as one form of utilization of hydrogen energy.
In particular, among various fuel cells, polymer electrolyte fuel cells (hereinafter also simply referred to as fuel cells) have a high power density, low temperature operation, and a compact battery body. As a result, early commercialization is expected.

  A fuel cell is a power generation system that takes out electric power by electrochemically reacting a fuel gas such as hydrogen and an oxidizing gas such as air. A membrane electrode assembly (hereinafter also referred to as MEA) in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell includes an electrolyte membrane, a catalyst layer, a gas diffusion layer, and a gasket layer. The gasket layer constituting a part of the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane is required to support the electrolyte and contribute to the suppression of oxygen and hydrogen leakage and the maintenance of the electrolyte membrane humidity.

  As a technique for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket, for example, a method for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with an electrolyte gasket shown in Patent Document 1 is known. This manufacturing method includes the following steps. First, a catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane (CCM) formed by forming a catalyst layer on a strip-shaped electrolyte membrane at a predetermined interval is unwound from a raw fabric roll and conveyed. Next, a gasket provided with an opening in the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane is pressure-bonded by a pair of rolls to form an electrolyte membrane with a gasket. If these steps are executed, the manufacturing method is such that a plurality of gasketed electrolyte membranes can be manufactured from the strip-shaped catalyst-coated electrolyte membrane.

JP 2007-180031 A

  In the manufacturing method of Patent Document 1, it is necessary to align the catalyst layer forming portion formed on the electrolyte membrane and the opening of the gasket. However, the conventional technique has a problem in that such a displacement between the catalyst layer forming portion and the gasket opening portion occurs. In view of the displacement, a method of forming the gasket opening area larger than the catalyst layer forming part has been devised. However, this method may reduce the durability of the exposed portion of the electrolyte membrane not covered with the gasket. Further, the thickness of the gasket member is generally as thin as about several tens of μm and has a frame shape having an opening inside. Thus, since the gasket member has a very thin frame shape, it is difficult to maintain the shape. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately arrange and join the catalyst layer and the gasket member.

  Moreover, when bonding by heat (henceforth bonding), it is necessary to provide the gasket member with the welding layer which can be heat-welded. In order to provide the weld layer, it is common to laminate a thermoplastic film as a weld layer on a substrate. Alternatively, there is a method of coating a dispersion of a thermoplastic resin as a welding layer on the base material. However, in the method of laminating a thermoplastic film or the method of coating a dispersion of a thermoplastic resin, the number of processes and materials increases, leading to an increase in cost. Moreover, the polyolefin used as a general-purpose welding layer has a melting point as low as 130 ° C. Since this temperature is close to the power generation temperature, the polyolefin may be softened while the commercialized fuel cell is moving. Furthermore, there is a risk of adverse effects on the electrolyte membrane due to bleeding out of additives such as lubricants, antistatic agents, plasticizers, or antioxidants used for improving the processability of polyolefin.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object thereof is to reduce the cost by accurately placing the gasket at a predetermined position of the electrolyte membrane and sealing without a weld layer. An object of the present invention is to provide a gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus, a gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing method, and a gasketed electrolyte membrane capable of improving stability.

  The present invention has been made to achieve such an object. The invention according to claim 1 is a catalyst layer in which a catalyst layer (11, 11a, 11b) is provided in a predetermined region of the electrolyte membrane (12). The coated electrolyte membrane (10, 30) and the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) provided with the opening (131) having a shape corresponding to the predetermined region are joined to each other, and the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane (14, 34). In the apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gaskets, a pair of rollers (21, 21) that are bonded by sandwiching and pressing the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane (10, 30) and the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) 21a, 21b, 22) and the pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) arranged opposite to each other, provided on the surface of one of the rollers (21, 21a) and the gasket ( 3, 13 a, 13 b) a protrusion (25) that fits into the opening (131), and a metal that is larger than the opening (131) and has a heating means at a height that is higher than the protrusion (25). The gasket (13, 13a, 13b) and the pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) in a state where the blade (26), the convex portion (25), and the opening portion (131) are fitted. The pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) are operated so as to be thermally melted and cut with a nip pressure of and to be welded and sealed to the end of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane (10, 30). An electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket, comprising: a roller control unit. (Example 1: FIG. 6, FIG. 7, Example 2: FIG. 9)

The invention according to claim 2 is the gasket according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the projection (25) in plan view is similar to the shape of the opening (131) of the gasket. It is an attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus. (Example 1: FIG. 6, FIG. 7, Example 2: FIG. 9)
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the height of the convex portion (25) is the same as the thickness of the gasket (13, 13a, 13b). It is a film manufacturing apparatus. (Example 1: FIG. 6, FIG. 7, Example 2: FIG. 9)
The invention according to claim 4 is the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the material of the convex portion (25) is an elastic body.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) has a strip shape, and the opening (131) includes a plurality of openings at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the gasket (13, 13a, 13b). The plurality of convex portions (25) are formed at intervals corresponding to the predetermined interval, and the control unit rotates the pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) to The convex portion (25) of the catalyst and the plurality of openings (131) are continuously fitted to each other to join the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane (10, 30) and the gasket (13, 13a, 13b). It is an electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket of any one of Claims 1-4 characterized by the above-mentioned. (Example 1: FIG. 6, FIG. 7, Example 2: FIG. 9)

  In the invention according to claim 6, the pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) is provided with a metal blade (26) that matches the shape of the electrolyte membrane with gasket (14, 34) upon completion. The first roller (21, 21a) provided and the second roller (26) having only the convex portion (25) and receiving the metal blade (26) disposed on the first roller (21, 21a). Of the first roller (21, 21a) and the second roller (21, 21b) and the control unit so that the gasket positions of the back and front surfaces of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane (10, 30) are aligned. The apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the roller (21, 21b) is operated. (Example 2: FIG. 9)

  In the invention according to claim 7, the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane (10, 30) having the electrolyte membrane (12) and the catalyst layer (11, 11a, 11b) is provided with an opening ( 131) is a manufacturing method for manufacturing the gasketed electrolyte membrane (14, 34) by hot-melt cutting the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) provided with the gasket (13, 13a, 13b). The catalyst layer coating electrolyte membranes (10, 30) and gaskets (13, 13a, 13b) were provided on the surfaces of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) that were cut by hot-melt cutting. A step (S1) of operating the pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) so as to fit the convex portion (25) and the gasket opening portion (131); the convex portion (25) and the opening portion; Mating with (131) In this state, the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) is thermally melted and cut with the nip pressure of the pair of rollers (21, 21a, 21b, 22) and the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane (10, 30). A gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing method comprising: (2) sealing at an end portion of the gasket (S2).

  The invention according to claim 8 is the electrolyte membrane with gasket (14, 34) manufactured by the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with gasket according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the catalyst layer ( 11, 11 a, 11 b) provided with gaskets (13, 13 a, 13 b) arranged around the edges of the gasket, the gaskets (13, 13 a, 13 b) prevent permeation of fuel gas and oxidant gas and are heat resistant It is an electrolyte membrane with a gasket characterized by being comprised from the single layer thermoplastic resin film which has this.

The invention according to claim 9 is the electrolyte membrane with gasket according to claim 8, wherein the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) is a polyester resin.
The invention according to claim 10 is the electrolyte membrane with gasket according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the gasket (13, 13a, 13b) is biaxially stretched polyethylene naphthalate.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket which can improve cost reduction and stability by arranging a gasket accurately in the predetermined position of an electrolyte membrane, and sealing without a welding layer, with a gasket An electrolyte membrane manufacturing method and an electrolyte membrane with a gasket can be provided. The details are as follows.

1) By sealing the gasket and the electrolyte membrane while fitting the convex portion provided on the sealing roll and the gasket opening, the gasket can be easily sealed to the electrolyte membrane with high accuracy.
2) Instead of using a polyolefin having a melting point of 130 ° C. as a general-purpose welding layer, the end face can be sealed even without providing a welding layer by using a hot melt cutting seal having a melting point of about 270 ° C.
3) By forming the gasket layer using biaxially stretched polyester naphthalate, which is a heat resistant film, the heat resistance during power generation is improved and the possibility of bleeding out of the additive is eliminated.

It is a top view of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane used as a material with the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is AA sectional drawing of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane shown in FIG. It is a top view of the gasket used as the material of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane of FIG. It is a top view of the electrolyte membrane with a gasket concerning Example 1 of the present invention. It is BB sectional drawing of the electrolyte membrane with a gasket shown in FIG. It is the schematic of the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is the schematic of the convex part in the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket of FIG. 6, and a pressure roller with a metal blade. It is sectional drawing of the electrolyte membrane with a gasket which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is the schematic of the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane used as a material with the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket shown in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the principal point of the electrolyte membrane manufacturing method with a gasket which concerns on the Example of this invention.

Below, the manufacturing apparatus 1 and manufacturing method of the electrolyte membrane with a gasket which concern on Example 1 of this invention are demonstrated.
First, the gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 manufactured by the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described. The gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 is formed by sealing the gasket 13 on the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane (CCM) 10 by hot melt cutting using the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane used as a material in the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus according to Example 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane shown in FIG. The catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 is a member configured by disposing a catalyst layer 11 on a solid polymer electrolyte membrane (hereinafter also simply referred to as an electrolyte membrane) 12. In the first embodiment, a rectangular catalyst layer 11 is formed on the surface of the strip-shaped electrolyte membrane 12 in plan view at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. The electrolyte membrane 12 used in Example 1 may be one generally used for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. As the electrolyte membrane 12, for example, a fluorine-based electrolyte membrane or a hydrocarbon electrolyte membrane is suitable. Among these, a fluorine-based electrolyte membrane is particularly preferable.

  Similarly, the catalyst layer 11 used in Example 1 may be one generally used for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. As this catalyst layer 11, for example, fine particles of platinum or an alloy of platinum and other metals (for example, Ru, Rh, Mo, Cr, Co, Fe, etc.) (the average particle diameter is preferably 10 nm or less) are supported on the surface. Conductive carbon fine particles such as carbon black (average particle size: about 20 to 100 nm) and polymer solution such as perfluorosulfonic acid resin solution were uniformly mixed in an appropriate solvent (ethanol or the like). Those made from ink can be used.

  FIG. 3 is a plan view of a gasket serving as a material for the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane of FIG. The gasket 13 is a strip-shaped sheet member that is supplied after being unwound from a raw roll, and has openings 131 at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. The interval at which the openings 131 are formed is determined in advance according to the interval between the catalyst layers 11. The distance between the catalyst layers 11 is determined by the size of the target MEA.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of an electrolyte membrane with a gasket according to Example 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the electrolyte membrane with gasket shown in FIG. The catalyst layer 11a and the gasket 13a shown in FIG. 5 are the same members as the catalyst layer 11 and the gasket 13 shown in FIG. 4, respectively, but for the sake of alignment with FIGS. It is attached.

  The gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is manufactured by the following steps. First, the gasket 13 is disposed so as to maintain an appropriate positional relationship on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 12. The electrolyte membrane 12 and the gasket 13 arranged in this manner are pushed by the overheated metal blade 26 (FIG. 7). The metal blade 26 is arranged with a function like a mold, which repeatedly manufactures a large number of gaskets 13 having the same shape. The gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 manufactured by such a process forms the seal portion 15 having almost no welding width. At that time, the gasket 13 is arranged so that the catalyst layer 11 is accurately fitted into the opening 131 of the gasket 13. That is, the periphery of the catalyst layer 11 is fitted into the opening 131 of the gasket 13 so as to surround the periphery of the catalyst layer 11.

Although the heating method of the metal blade 26 is not particularly limited, there is a method in which the metal blade 26 is made of a material having low thermal conductivity, and the metal blade 26 is energized to cause self-heating. Further, a method of embedding a heat generating heater in the base portion of the metal blade 26 and heating by heat transfer from the heater is also conceivable.
The gasket 13 is composed of biaxially stretched polyethylene naphthalate. Such a thermoplastic resin film is biaxially stretched so that the orientation of the molecules is uniform and the strength, chemical resistance, and heat resistance are excellent. Polyethylene naphthalate is a general-purpose film excellent in gas barrier properties, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance.

In the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with gasket according to the first embodiment, when manufacturing the electrolyte membrane 14 with gasket, the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane 10 used as a material is arranged around the edges of the catalyst layers 11 and 11a. The gaskets 13 and 13a are made of a single layer thermoplastic resin film that prevents permeation of fuel gas and oxidizing gas and has heat resistance.
In the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with a gasket according to the first embodiment, when manufacturing the electrolyte membrane 14 with a gasket, the gaskets 13 and 13a used as materials are preferably formed of a polyester resin. Further, the gaskets 13 and 13a are preferably formed of biaxially stretched polyethylene naphthalate.

Next, the structure of the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the electrolyte membrane with a gasket which concerns on the present Example 1 is demonstrated.
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gaskets according to Example 1 of the present invention.
It is the schematic of the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with a gasket which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. The gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 includes an unwinding roller 19a, an unwinding roller 19b, a convex portion, a first sealing roller (first sealing roller) 21 with a metal blade, and a second sealing roller (second ), A pressure device 23, and a roller controller (not shown). Note that these various rollers are also simply referred to as rollers.

  The unwinding roller 19a is a device for unwinding the gasket 13 from a raw material previously wound in a roll shape. Similarly, the unwinding roller 19b is an apparatus for unwinding the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 from a raw material previously wound in a roll shape. The second sealing roller 22 pressurizes the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 and the gasket 13 together with the convex and first sealing roller 21 with the metal blade, and heat-melts, cuts and seals the gasket with the heated metal blade 26. It is a device to stop. The pressure device 23 is a device that is connected to the second sealing roller 22 and applies a nip pressure between the convex portion, the sealing blade 21 with a metal blade, and the sealing roller 22.

The roller control unit is a device that controls operations of the unwinding roller 19a, the unwinding roller 19b, the convex portion, the sealing roller 21a with a metal blade, the sealing roller 22, and the pressure device 23. The roller control unit typically includes an information processing device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a memory, and an interface circuit, and in accordance with a program stored in advance, the unwinding roller 19a, unwinding roller 19b, convex portion, and metal blade The attached sealing roller 21a, the sealing roller 22, and the pressure device 23 are controlled.
The convex part and the sealing roller 21 with a metal blade are devices for contacting the gasket 13 and bonding the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membranes 10 and 30 and the gasket 13 together. As shown in FIG. 7, the sealing roller 21 with convex portions and metal blades is formed by providing a plurality of convex portions 25 and metal blades 26 on the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical main body portion 24.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a convex portion and a pressure roller with a metal blade in the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket of FIG. The convex portion 25 in the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 preferably has a shape in plan view similar to the shape of the opening 131 so as to be fitted to the opening 131 of the gasket 13. Moreover, it is preferable that the metal blades 26 are arranged according to the shape of the electrolyte membrane 14 with gasket when it is completed. In the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with gasket of the first embodiment, the height of the convex portion 25 from the surface of the main body portion 24 to the top of the convex portion 25 (hereinafter referred to as the height of the convex portion) is the thickness of the gasket 13. It is preferable to make it substantially the same. The convex part 25 is formed by cutting the surface of the main body part 24, for example.

  As described above, the gaskets 13 and 13a have a band shape, and a plurality of openings 131 are formed at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the gaskets 13 and 13a. A plurality of convex portions 25 are formed on the peripheral surface of the main body 24 of the roller 21 at intervals corresponding to the predetermined intervals. Similarly, a plurality of convex portions 25 are formed on the peripheral surface of the main body of the roller 22. Further, the roller control unit rotates the pair of rollers 21 and 22 so that the plurality of convex portions 25 and the plurality of openings 131 are successively fitted to each other, whereby the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10, And gaskets 13 and 13a are joined together. And the planar view shape of the convex part 25 is a shape similar to the shape of the opening part 131 of the gaskets 13 and 13a. Moreover, the height of the convex part 25 is the same as the thickness of the gaskets 13 and 13a. And it is preferable to make the material of the convex part 25 into an elastic body.

Further, it is desirable that the metal blade 26 is adjusted to a height at which the metal blade 26 is pressed against the electrolyte membrane 12 and the gasket 13 by pressurizing the sealing roller 21 without interfering with the fitting of the convex portion 25. The convex portion, the sealing roller 21 with a metal blade, and the sealing roller 22 are arranged to face each other.
As described above, the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 includes the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane 10 in which the catalyst layers 11 and 11a are provided in a predetermined region of the electrolyte membrane 12, and the predetermined region in which the catalyst layers 11 and 11a are provided. The gasket-attached electrolyte membrane 14 is manufactured by joining the gaskets 13 and 13a provided with the openings 131 having a corresponding shape.

  This gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a pair of rollers 21 and 22 that are bonded to each other by sandwiching and pressing the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 and the gaskets 13 and 13a. Of the rollers 21, 22 are provided on the surface of one of the rollers 21, 21a and are fitted into the openings 131 of the gaskets 13, 13a, 13b. With the metal blade 26 having heating means at the above height, the convex portion 25 and the opening 131 fitted together, the gaskets 13 and 13a are subjected to hot melt cutting with the nip pressure of the pair of rollers 21 and 22. And a roller control unit that operates the pair of rollers 21 and 22 so as to be welded and sealed to the end of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10.

Hereinafter, operation | movement of the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with a gasket mentioned above is demonstrated.
First, the roller control unit is configured so that the convex portion and the convex portion of the sealing roller 21 with metal blade can be inserted into the opening 131 of the gasket, and the convex portion and the convex portion of the sealing roller 21 with metal blade and the catalyst layer. The convex portion, the sealing roller 21 with metal blade, the unwinding roller 19a, and the unwinding roller 19b are rotated in synchronization so that the catalyst layer portions of the coating electrolyte membrane 10 overlap. By such an operation, the sheet is conveyed in a state in which the convex portion 25 is inserted into the opening 131 portion of the wound gasket 13.

  The catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 and the gasket 13 respectively unwound from the unwinding rollers 19a and 19b are drawn between the convex roller 21 and the sealing roller 22 with a metal blade and thermally melted and cut. And sealed. In this series of operations, the roller control unit controls the operation of each unit in synchronization. That is, the convex portion, the sealing roller 21 with a metal blade, the unwinding roller 19a, and the winding roller 19a, so that the center of the top surface of the convex portion 25 and the surface center of the formation region of the catalyst layer 11 coincide at the time of bonding. Control is performed so that the rotation angle and the rotation speed of the take-out roller 19b are appropriately synchronized.

  Next, the roller control unit causes the pressure device 23 to apply pressure between the convex portion, the sealing roller 21 with a metal blade, and the sealing roller 22. The nip pressure applied by the pressurizing device 23 is adjusted to a pressure set within a range of 10 to 100 MPa. In addition, about nip pressure, when lower than the range of 10 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less, the pressure which concerns on the metal blade 26 is insufficient, and the end surface of the gasket 13 cannot be hot-melt-cut. Conversely, when the pressure is higher than the pressure range of 10 MPa or more and 100 MPa or less, the electrolyte membrane 14 with gasket may be deteriorated by the high pressure. The gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 thus manufactured is wound up by a winding roller 20.

  As described above, the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing method according to Example 1 is provided with the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane 10 having the electrolyte membrane 12 and the catalyst layers 11 and 11a, and the opening 131 corresponding to the catalyst shape. This is a manufacturing method for manufacturing the gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 by hot-melt cutting the gaskets 13 and 13a.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the main points of the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing method according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 11, the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing method includes the following two steps.
As a first step (S1), a convex portion 25 provided on the surface of a roller 21 that contacts the gasket 13 and seals the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 and the gasket 13 by hot-melt cutting, and a gasket, The pair of rollers 21 and 22 are operated so that the opening 131 is fitted.

  Then, as a second step (S2), the gaskets 13 and 13a are heat-melted and cut with a nip pressure between the pair of rollers 21 and 22 in a state in which the convex portion 25 and the opening 131 are fitted, and the catalyst. It seals by welding to the edge part of the layer coating electrolyte membrane 10. FIG. Note that the metal blade 26 is not melted to cut each layer, but is cut by heat once with the heated metal blade 26 to melt each cut surface so as to melt and join the layers.

  As described above, according to the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 and the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing method according to the first embodiment, the catalyst layers 11 and 11a of the gasketed electrolyte membrane 14, the gasket opening 131, and the like. Can be suppressed. In other words, in the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1, the roller control unit includes the opening 131 of the gaskets 13 and 13a and the catalyst layer layers 11 and 11a of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 with the convex portions and the sealing rollers with metal blades. The rotation angle and rotation speed of each roller are appropriately synchronously controlled so as to align with the convex portion 25 of 21a. As a result, it is possible to suppress the positional deviation between the catalyst layers 11 and 11a of the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane 14 and the gasket opening 131.

  In addition, the convex portion 25 of the sealing roller 21a with a metal blade is inserted into the opening 131 of the gasket 13, 13a, and the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 and the gasket 13, 13a are hot-melt cut sealed. I do. As a result, the nip pressure applied to the catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane 10 becomes uniform, and the gasketed electrolyte membrane 14 having a good shape can be manufactured continuously while maintaining the shapes of the gaskets 13 and 13a. In addition, the magnitude | size of the nip pressure which acts between the convex part mentioned above, the sealing roller 21 with a metal blade, and the sealing roller 22 is an example. Therefore, the nip pressure according to the material of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 and the gaskets 13 and 13a may be set as appropriate without being limited to the first embodiment.

  Moreover, in Example 1, although the convex part 25 was formed by cutting the surface of the main-body part 24, it is not limited to it. The convex part 25 may be affixed on the surface of the main-body part 24, and the convex part and the sealing roller 21 with a metal blade may be comprised. The material of the convex portion 25 may be arbitrarily selected from an elastic body such as rubber or sponge, or a different metal. If the convex part 25 is an elastic body, it becomes possible to adjust the height appropriately corresponding to the position of the object with which the convex part 25 abuts. Due to its flexibility, the pressure at the time of hot-melt cutting sealing of the gasket 13 and the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10 can be made uniform. As a result, wrinkles can be prevented from occurring in the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane 14.

The second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. In addition, about the structure similar to the structure demonstrated in Example 1, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an electrolyte membrane with a gasket according to Example 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 8, the electrolyte membrane with gasket 34 of Example 2 has a configuration in which gaskets 13 a and 13 b are joined to both surfaces of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30, respectively. In addition, in the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with a gasket of Example 1, it was the electrolyte membrane 14 with a gasket of the structure which joins the gasket 13 to one side of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10. FIG.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic view of an apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 2 further includes an unwinding roller 19c, and includes a sealing roller 21b with a convex portion instead of the sealing roller 22. Moreover, the sealing roller 21a with a convex part and a metal blade, and the sealing roller 21b with a convex part are arrange | positioned so that it may mutually oppose. Note that the sealing roller 21b with the convex portion is a roller that receives the metal blade 26 and does not include the metal blade 26 unlike the convex portion and the sealing roller 21 with the metal blade in the first embodiment. The pressure device 23 is connected to the convex sealing roller 21b to adjust the nip pressure.

  As described above, the pair of rollers 21a and 21b includes only the first roller 21a on which the metal blade 26 matched with the completed shape of the electrolyte membrane 34 with gasket and the convex portion 25 are provided. The second roller 21b that receives the metal blade 26 disposed on the roller 21a, and the control unit aligns the gasket positions on the front and back surfaces of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30 with the first roller 21a and the second roller 21b. The roller 21b is operated. The first roller 21a and the second roller 21b are also referred to as a roller 21a and a roller 21b, respectively.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a catalyst layer coated electrolyte membrane used as a material in the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG.
The gasketed electrolyte membrane production apparatus 2 produces a gasketed electrolyte membrane 34 using a catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30 as shown in FIG. The catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30 has a configuration in which catalyst layers 11 a and 11 b are respectively disposed on both the front and back surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 12. This catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30 is unwound from the original fabric by the unwinding roller 19b. The unwinding roller 19a unwinds the gasket 13a from the original fabric. The unwinding roller 19c unwinds the gasket 13b.

The roller control unit operates while appropriately synchronizing the rotation angles and rotation speeds of the unwinding rollers 19a, 19b, and 19c, the convex portion, the sealing roller 21a with the metal blade, and the sealing roller 21b with the convex portion. . Specifically, the gaskets 13a and 13b are unwound while controlling the operation of each roller so that the operations 1) and 2) below are appropriately synchronized.
1) A convex part and the convex part 25 of the sealing roller 21a with a metal blade are inserted into the opening 131 of the gasket 13a.
2) The convex part 25 of the sealing roller 21b with convex part is inserted into the opening 131 of the gasket 13b.

Further, the roller control unit controls the operation of each roller so as to appropriately synchronize the operations 1) and 2) below.
1) The center of the projecting portion 25 and the center of the projecting portion 25 of the sealing roller 21a with the metal blade coincide with the center of the formation region of the catalyst layer 11a of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30.
2) The center of the formation region of the catalyst layer 11b of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30 and the center of the convex portion 25 of the sealing roller 21b with the convex portion are matched.

The above-described operation is an operation in which the chain is driven while winding the chain with a sprocket. However, the operation can be divided into two steps 1) and 2) below.
1) By operating the pair of rollers 21a and 22b, the gaskets 13a and 13b that have been unwound are provided in the respective openings 131 with a convex portion, a sealing roller 21a with a metal blade, and a sealing roller 21b with a convex portion, respectively. Step S1 is drawn between the convex portion, the sealing roller 21a with a metal blade, and the sealing roller 21b with a convex portion in a state where the convex portion 25 is fitted.

2) The roller control unit controls the pressure device 23 to generate a nip pressure between the convex part, the sealing roller 21a with the metal blade, and the sealing roller 21b with the convex part, and the catalyst layer coating electrolyte. A step of sealing the three layers of the membrane 30, the gasket 13a and the gasket 13b by hot-melt cutting with a heated metal blade 26 (S2). Note that the metal blade 26 is not melted to cut each layer, but is cut by heat once with the heated metal blade 26 to melt each cut surface so as to melt and join the layers.

In Example 1, as described with reference to FIG. 11, the method for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket of Example 2 includes the following two steps. 11 corresponds to only the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, but the following description corresponds to the gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 2 of the second embodiment.
As a first step (S1), they are provided on the surfaces of rollers 21a and 22b, which are in contact with the gaskets 13a and 13b and seal the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 30 and the gaskets 13a and 13b by hot-melt cutting. The pair of rollers 21a and 22b are operated so that the convex portion 25 and the gasket opening 131 are fitted.

As a second step (S2), the gaskets 13a and 13b are heat-melted and cut with a nip pressure between the pair of rollers 21a and 22b in a state where the convex portion 25 and the opening 131 are fitted, and a catalyst layer. It is welded to the end of the coating electrolyte membrane 30 and sealed.
The gasketed electrolyte membrane 34 manufactured by the above-described hot melt cutting sealing is wound up in a roll shape by the winding roller 20.
According to the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 2 according to Example 2 described above, the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane 34 in which the gaskets 13 and 13b are bonded to both sides of the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane 30 in a good shape is manufactured. be able to.

Next, Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment is a separate frame provided to explain the first embodiment in more detail.
First, the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane 10 and the gasket 13 were installed in the gasket-attached electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 used in Example 1. Here, Nafion (registered trademark) 212 manufactured by Dupont was used as the electrolyte membrane 12 of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane 10. The catalyst layer 11 comprises a platinum-supported carbon catalyst (trade name: TEC10E50E, manufactured by Tanaka Kikinzoku Kogyo Co., Ltd.) and a 20% by mass polymer electrolyte solution (Dupont Nafion: registered trademark) in a mixed solvent of water and ethanol. After mixing, a dispersion treatment was performed using a planetary ball mill, and the prepared product was used as an ink and formed by a transfer method.

  Further, as the gasket 13, a polyethylene naphthalate (Teonex) (registered trademark) manufactured by Teijin DuPont was cut with a punching machine to form an opening 131 was used. Moreover, the planar view shape of the catalyst layer 11 was a square of 50 mm in length and width, and the opening 131 of the gasket 13 was a square of 52 mm square.

  Subsequently, ten electrolyte membranes 14 with gaskets were manufactured by the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus 1 with gaskets. The setting conditions are the roll temperature of the convex portion 25, the sealing roller 21 with the metal blade 21 and the sealing roller 22, the temperature of the metal blade 26 is 360 ° C., and the nip pressure is 20 MPa. As a result, the center coordinates of the gasket opening 131 and the center coordinates of the catalyst layer 11a could be manufactured without deviation. Moreover, the single cell of the fuel cell was manufactured using the manufactured electrolyte membrane 14 with a gasket. When hydrogen gas was supplied from the anode side of this single cell and nitrogen gas was supplied from the cathode side and a leak check was performed, no gas leak was confirmed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the gasket can be accurately placed at a predetermined position of the electrolyte membrane or the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane, and can be sealed without a welding layer. And it becomes possible to provide the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket which can reduce cost and improve stability, the manufacturing method of an electrolyte membrane with a gasket, and the electrolyte membrane with a gasket. The details are as follows.

1) By sealing the gasket and the electrolyte membrane while fitting the convex portion provided on the sealing roll and the gasket opening, the gasket can be easily sealed to the electrolyte membrane with high accuracy.
2) Instead of using a polyolefin having a melting point of 130 ° C. as a general-purpose welding layer, the end face can be sealed even without providing a welding layer by using a hot melt cutting seal having a melting point of about 270 ° C.

3) By forming the gasket layer using biaxially stretched polyester naphthalate, which is a heat resistant film, the heat resistance during power generation is improved and the possibility of bleeding out of the additive is eliminated.
The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications such as design changes can be added based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modifications are added. These embodiments are also included in the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful as a gasketed electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method capable of efficiently manufacturing an excellent quality gasketed electrolyte membrane and a gasketed electrolyte membrane manufactured by them.

1, 2 Electrolyte membrane production equipment with gasket 10, 30 Catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane (catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane)
11, 11a, 11b Catalyst layer 12 Solid polymer electrolyte membrane (electrolyte membrane)
13, 13a, 13b Gasket 14, 34 Electrolyte membrane 15 with gasket Hot melt sealing 19a, 19b, 19c Unwinding roller 20 Winding rollers 21, 21a Convex part, sealing roller with metal blade (first roller, roller)
21b Sealing roller with convex part (second roller, roller)
22 Sealing roller (roller, roller)
23 Pressurizing device 24 Main part 25 (convex part, sealing roller with metal blade) Convex part 26 Metal blade 131 Opening part

Claims (10)

A catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane in which a catalyst layer is provided in a predetermined region of the electrolyte membrane;
In the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with gasket for manufacturing the electrolyte membrane with gasket by joining the gasket provided with the opening having a shape corresponding to the predetermined region,
A pair of rollers to be bonded by sandwiching and pressing the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane and the gasket;
Of the pair of rollers disposed facing each other, a convex portion provided on the surface of one of the rollers and fitted into the opening of the gasket,
A metal blade having a shape larger than the opening and having a heating means at a height higher than the convex portion;
In a state where the convex portion and the opening portion are fitted, the gasket is thermally melted and cut with a nip pressure of the pair of rollers, and is welded and sealed to an end portion of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane. A roller control unit for operating the pair of rollers,
An apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket, comprising:   The apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the convex portion in plan view is similar to the shape of the opening of the gasket.   The apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the height of the convex portion is the same as the thickness of the gasket.   The apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the material of the convex portion is an elastic body.   The gasket has a strip shape, the opening is formed in a plurality at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of the gasket, the projections are formed in plural at intervals corresponding to the predetermined interval, and the control unit The catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane and the gasket are joined by rotating a pair of rollers so that the plurality of convex portions and the plurality of openings are continuously fitted to each other. Item 5. The apparatus for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with gasket according to any one of Items 1 to 4. The pair of rollers is
A first roller provided with a metal blade in conformity with the shape of the gasketed electrolyte membrane;
A second roller that has only the convex portion and receives the metal blade disposed on the first roller;
The said control part operates a 1st roller and a said 2nd roller so that the gasket position of the back and front surfaces of the said catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane may be match | combined, The any one of Claims 1-5 characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. An apparatus for producing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket according to item 1. A manufacturing method for manufacturing an electrolyte membrane with a gasket by thermally melting and cutting a gasket provided with an opening corresponding to a catalyst shape, a catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane having an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer,
The pair of rollers so as to fit the convex portion provided on the surface of the roller that contacts the gasket and seals the catalyst layer-coated electrolyte membrane and the gasket by hot-melt cutting and the gasket opening. Step to operate,
In a state where the convex portion and the opening portion are fitted, the gasket is thermally melted and cut with a nip pressure of the pair of rollers, and welded to an end portion of the catalyst layer coating electrolyte membrane and sealed. And steps to
A method for producing an electrolyte membrane with gasket, comprising: It is the electrolyte membrane with a gasket manufactured with the electrolyte membrane manufacturing apparatus with a gasket of any one of Claims 1-6,
Comprising a gasket disposed around an edge of the catalyst layer;
An electrolyte membrane with a gasket, wherein the gasket is composed of a single-layer thermoplastic resin film that prevents permeation of fuel gas and oxidizing gas and has heat resistance.   The electrolyte membrane with gasket according to claim 8, wherein the gasket is a polyester resin.   The electrolyte membrane with gasket according to claim 8 or 9, wherein the gasket is biaxially stretched polyethylene naphthalate.

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