Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M4/00—Electrodes
  • H01M4/86—Inert electrodes with catalytic activity, e.g. for fuel cells
  • H01M4/88—Processes of manufacture
  • H01M4/8803—Supports for the deposition of the catalytic active composition
  • H01M4/881—Electrolytic membranes
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M4/00—Electrodes
  • H01M4/86—Inert electrodes with catalytic activity, e.g. for fuel cells
  • H01M4/8605—Porous electrodes
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
  • H01M8/00—Fuel cells; Manufacture thereof
  • H01M8/10—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes
  • H01M8/1007—Fuel cells with solid electrolytes with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
  • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
  • B32B2457/00—Electrical equipment
  • B32B2457/18—Fuel cells
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
  • Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
  • Y02E60/30—Hydrogen technology
  • Y02E60/50—Fuel cells
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
  • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
  • Y02P70/00—Climate change mitigation technologies in the production process for final industrial or consumer products
  • Y02P70/50—Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
  • Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
  • Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
  • Y10T156/00—Adhesive bonding and miscellaneous chemical manufacture
  • Y10T156/10—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
  • Y10T156/1052—Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor with cutting, punching, tearing or severing
  • Y10T156/1062—Prior to assembly
  • Y10T156/1074—Separate cutting of separate sheets or webs

Definitions

• This invention relates to methods of attaching a gas diffusion layer (GDL) to a catalyst coated membrane (CCM) to make a five-layer membrane electrode assembly (MEA) such as an MEA used in a fuel cell.
• GDL gas diffusion layer
• CCM catalyst coated membrane
• MEA five-layer membrane electrode assembly
• US 6,197,147 Bl purportedly discloses a process for producing laminates.
• US 2003/0191021 Al discloses lamination apparatus and methods relating to the production of membrane electrode assemblies.
• the present disclosure provides a method of making a five-layer membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of: a) providing a catalyst coated membrane web which comprises: 1) a polymer electrolyte membrane having a first and second face; 2) a plurality of first patterned catalyst layer segments laminated on said first face of said membrane such that adjacent patterned catalyst layer segments are not in contact with each other; and 3) a plurality of second patterned catalyst layer segments laminated on said second face of said membrane such that adjacent patterned catalyst layer segments are not in contact with each other; b) providing a laminating station wherein the catalyst coated membrane web is drawn between a pair of laminating rollers which form a laminating nip; c) die-cutting a first web of first gas diffusion layer material to make a first gas diffusion layer; d) die-cutting a second web of second gas diffusion layer material to make a second gas diffusion layer; e) transporting the first gas diffusion layer to the laminating station; f) transporting the second gas diffusion layer to the
• the method may additionally comprise the step of: j) repeating steps a)-i) to form a continuous web comprising multiple five-layer membrane electrode assemblies.
• the first gas diffusion layer has an area greater than the first patterned catalyst layer segments.
• the second gas diffusion layer has an area greater than the second patterned catalyst layer segments.
• to laminate means to bond together two or more sheet materials;
• five-layer membrane electrode assembly means a construction comprising at least five layers, including a gas diffusion layers, a catalyst layer, a layer of a polymer electrolyte membrane, another catalyst layer, and another gas diffusion layer; and
• GDL' s gas diffusion layers
• DCC diffuser/current collector
• FTL's fluid transport layers
• EBL ' s electrode backing layers
• the figure is a schematic top view demonstrating positioning, prior to roll bonding, of a gas diffusion layer (EFGH) and the catalyst area of a catalyst coated membrane (ABCD), as described further herein.
• EFGH gas diffusion layer
• ABCD catalyst coated membrane
• This invention relates to methods of attaching a gas diffusion layer (GDL) to a catalyst coated membrane (CCM) to make a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) such as an MEA used in a fuel cell.
• the method of the present invention includes roll-bonding of the GDL to the CCM, and typically simultaneous roll-bonding of two GDL pieces to the CCM, one to each side.
• the method may include the step of overlaying the GDL piece(s) corners at specified locations on top of the CCM piece prior to roll bonding.
• the method may include a prior step of transporting the GDL piece(s) from a die station to a roll-bonding station, typically by use of a vacuum belt in order to maintain registration.
• the method may include a prior step of die-cutting GDL piece(s) from a sheet or roll of GDL material, more typically a roll.
• the method of the present invention may be carried out using apparatus such as that disclosed in US 2003/0191021 Al .
• the method of the present invention may be carried out method details disclosed in US 2003/0191021 Al.
• the GDL piece(s) may be positioned relative to the CCM piece and relative to each other with the use of sensors, such as laser sensors. The relative speed of the CCM web and the transport devices feeding one or both GDL' s can be adjusted relative to each other such that the center of the GDL piece on both sides of the CCM web is at the same center point of the CCM.
• the CCM comprises catalyst areas, where the membrane bears a catalyst coating, and non-catalyst areas, where the membrane is bare. It has been found that the GDL adheres better to bare membrane areas than to the catalyst area of the CCM.
• the quadrilateral EFGH represents a GDL piece and the quadrilateral ABCD represents the catalyst area of a CCM.
• the following parameters have been found to maximize physical adhesion between the GDL piece and the CCM piece, which results in improved MEA performance in a fuel cell.
• one or more of the following parameters is controlled, typically on a continuing basis during production.
• Parameter 1 Top edge EF of the GDL piece is maintained in parallel to the top edge AB of the CCM catalyst area.
• Parameter 3 Side edge EG of the GDL piece is maintained in parallel to side edge AC of the CCM catalyst area.
• Parameter 4 Side edge FH of the GDL piece is maintained in parallel to side edge BD of the CCM catalyst area.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Electrochemistry (AREA)
• General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Sustainable Development (AREA)
• Sustainable Energy (AREA)
• Inert Electrodes (AREA)
• Fuel Cell (AREA)
• Physical Or Chemical Processes And Apparatus (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

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Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (2)

Family Cites Families (12)

• 2006
  • 2006-12-29 EP EP06849127A patent/EP1977466A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-12-29 US US11/618,115 patent/US7625833B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-12-29 CN CN201410273181.5A patent/CN104103839A/zh active Pending
  • 2006-12-29 WO PCT/US2006/049658 patent/WO2007079255A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2006-12-29 CN CNA2006800500862A patent/CN101351912A/zh active Pending
  • 2006-12-29 JP JP2008548781A patent/JP5714801B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related

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