Polymer electrolyte membrane, membrane-electrode assembly, fuel cell system, and method for preparing the membrane-electrode assembly

• US 20060003212A1
• Filed: 06/16/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Hee-Tak, Kweon, Ho-Jin
• Application Number:
  US11/155,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20060003212A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/480
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 30/00 Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0094 in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/881 Electrolytic membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/921 Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0234 Carbonaceous material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/0245 in the form of layered or coated products
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1016 characterised by the electrolyte material H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

A polymer electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell includes a proton conductive polymer membrane and proton conductive microfibers coated on either side of the proton conductive polymer membrane.

Claims

1. A polymer electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, comprising:

a proton conductive polymer membrane; and

proton conductive microfibers coated on either side of the polymer membrane.

2. The polymer electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the proton conductive polymer membrane comprises a material selected from the group consisting of perfluoro-based polymers, benzimidazole-based polymers, polyimide-based polymers, polyetherimide-based polymers, polyphenylenesulfide-based polymers, polysulfone-based polymers, polyethersulfone-based polymers, polyetherketone-based polymers, polyether-etherketone-based polymers, polyphenylquinoxaline-based polymers, and combinations thereof.

3. The polymer electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the proton conductive polymer membrane comprises a proton conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluorosulfonic acid), poly(perfluorocarboxylic acid), and copolymers of fluorovinylether and tetrafluoroethylene including sulfonic acid groups, defluorinated polyetherketone sulfide, arylketones, poly(2,2′

-(m-phenylene)-5,5′

-bibenzimidazole), poly(2,5-benzimidazole), and combinations thereof.

4. The polymer electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an average diameter of the proton conductive microfibers is from 0.01 to 5 μ

m.

5. The polymer electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the proton conductive microfibers are coated by an electrospinning method.

6. The polymer electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the proton conductive microfibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of perfluoro-based polymers, benzimidazole-based polymers, polyimide-based polymers, polyetherimide-based polymers, polyphenylenesulfide-based polymers, polysulfone-based polymers, polyethersulfone-based polymers, polyetherketone-based polymers, polyether-etherketone-based polymers, polyphenylquinoxaline-based polymers, and combinations thereof.

7. The polymer electrolyte membrane for the fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the proton conductive microfibers comprise a proton conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluorosulfonic acid), poly(perfluorocarboxylic acid), copolymers of fluorovinylether and tetrafluoroethylene including sulfonic acid groups, defluorinated polyetherketone sulfide, arylketones, poly(2,2′

-(m-phenylene)-5,5′

-bibenzimidazole), poly(2,5-benzimidazole), and combinations thereof.

8. A membrane-electrode assembly comprising:

a polymer electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell having a proton conductive polymer membrane and proton conductive microfibers coated on either side of the polymer membrane;

a catalyst layer coated on either side of the polymer electrolyte membrane; and

a gas diffusion layer positioned on the catalyst layer.

9. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 8, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst provided in an amount from 0.001 to 0.5 mg/cm².

10. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 8, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a catalyst with a specific surface area between 10 and 500 m²/g.

11. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 8, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of platinum, ruthenium, osmium, platinum-ruthenium alloys, platinum-osmium alloys, platinum-palladium alloys, and platinum-M alloys, where M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ga, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn, and combinations thereof.

12. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 8, wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of carbon paper and carbon cloth.

13. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 8, further comprising a microporous layer (MPL) between the catalyst layer and the gas diffusion layer.

14. The membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 13, wherein the MPL comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon nanotube (CNT), fullerene (C60), activated carbon, carbon black, and combinations thereof.

15. A fuel cell system, comprising:

an electricity generating unit including separators and a membrane-electrode assembly between the separators, the membrane-electrode assembly including an anode and a cathode and a polymer electrolyte membrane between the anode and the cathode;

a fuel supply unit for supplying fuel to the electricity generating unit; and

an oxidizing agent supply unit for supplying oxidizing agent to the electricity generating unit,

wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane comprises a proton conductive polymer membrane, and proton conductive microfibers coated on either side of the polymer membrane.

16. A method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly comprising:

coating a proton conductive polymer membrane with proton conductive microfibers to prepare a polymer electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell;

depositing a catalyst on either side of the polymer electrolyte membrane to form a catalyst layer; and

positioning a gas diffusion layer on the catalyst layer.

17. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the proton conductive polymer membrane comprises a material selected from the group consisting of perfluoro-based polymers, benzimidazole-based polymers, polyimide-based polymers, polyetherimide-based polymers, polyphenylenesulfide-based polymers, polysulfone-based polymers, polyethersulfone-based polymers, polyetherketone-based polymers, polyether-etherketone-based polymers, polyphenylquinoxaline-based polymers, and combinations thereof.

18. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the proton conductive polymer membrane comprises a proton conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluorosulfonic acid), poly(perfluorocarboxylic acid), copolymers of fluorovinylether and tetrafluoroethylene including sulfonic acid groups, defluorinated polyetherketone sulfide, arylketones, poly(2,2′

-(m-phenylene)-5,5′

-bibenzimidazole), poly(2,5-benzimidazole), and combinations thereof.

19. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the proton conductive microfibers comprise a material selected from the group consisting of perfluoro-based polymers, benzimidazole-based polymers, polyimide-based polymers, polyetherimide-based polymers, polyphenylenesulfide-based polymers, polysulfone-based polymers, polyethersulfone-based polymers, polyetherketone-based polymers, polyether-etherketone-based polymers, polyphenylquinoxaline-based polymers, and combinations thereof.

20. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the proton conductive microfibers comprise a proton conductive polymer selected from the group consisting of poly(perfluorosulfonic acid), poly(perfluorocarboxylic acid), copolymers of fluorovinylether and tetrafluoroethylene including sulfonic acid groups, defluorinated polyetherketone sulfide, arylketones, poly(2,2′

-(m-phenylene)-5,5′

-bibenzimidazole), poly(2,5-benzimidazole), and combinations thereof.

21. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to-claim 16, wherein the coating of the proton conductive polymer membrane with the proton conductive microfibers is performed by an electrospinning method.

22. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the catalyst layer is formed using a method selected from sputtering, thermal chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), thermal evaporation, electrochemical deposition, e-beam evaporation, and combinations thereof.

23. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the catalyst is provided an amount between 0.001 and 0.5 mg/cm².

24. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the catalyst layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of platinum, ruthenium, osmium, platinum-ruthenium alloys, platinum-osmium alloys, platinum-palladium alloys, platinum-M alloys, and combinations thereof, wherein M is a transition metal selected from the group consisting of Ga, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn.

25. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of carbon paper and carbon cloth.

26. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 16, further comprising forming a microporous layer (MPL) between the catalyst layer and the gas diffusion layer.

27. The method for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly according to claim 26, wherein the MPL comprises a material selected from the group consisting of graphite, carbon nanotube (CNT), fullerene (C60), activated carbon, carbon black, and combinations thereof.