SOLID POLYELECTROLYTE TYPE FUEL CELL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING THE SAME

• US 20080213644A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Takatera, Tsutomu, SHINDOH, Taisuke
• Application Number:
  US11/960,013
• Publication Number:
  US 20080213644A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 429/30
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1095 Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/881 Electrolytic membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8828 Coating with slurry or ink
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8882 Heat treatment, e.g. drying, baking
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/90 Selection of catalytic material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/92 Metals of platinum group H01M4/94 , H01M4/9058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/921 Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/926 on carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1006 Corrugated, curved or wave-shaped MEA
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor

Abstract

To provide a solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell having excellent reliability and a method of producing the same by reducing electric interface resistance between an electrode and a solid polyelectrolyte membrane by improving contact area and cohesion between the electrode and the solid polyelectrolyte membrane. The present invention relates to a solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell including a polyelectrolyte membrane and a pair of electrodes sandwiching the polyelectrolyte membrane, and the electrodes have a catalyst layer containing catalyst-carrying carbon particles, and at least one surface of the polyelectrolyte membrane has a bumpy face in which a bumpy shape is formed, and the catalyst layer is formed in close contact with the bumpy shape of the bumpy face.

Claims

1. A solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell comprising a polyelectrolyte membrane and a pair of electrodes sandwiching said polyelectrolyte membrane,

wherein said electrodes have a catalyst layer containing catalyst-carrying carbon particles,

at least one surface of said polyelectrolyte membrane has a bumpy face in which a bumpy shape is formed, and

said catalyst layer is formed in contact with said bumpy shape of said bumpy face.

2. The solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said catalyst layer formed on said bumpy face contains catalyst-carrying carbon particles having surfaces modified with a proton dissociative functional group or an organic compound having said proton dissociative functional group.

3. The solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein said catalyst-carrying carbon particles having said surface modification has a specific surface area of not less than 800 m²/g.

4. The solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein said catalyst layer formed on said bumpy face includes a first catalyst layer formed in contact with said polyelectrolyte membrane, and a second catalyst layer formed to be opposite to said polyelectrolyte membrane via said first catalyst layer.

5. The solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 4, wherein of said first catalyst layer and said second catalyst layer, only said first catalyst layer contains catalyst-carrying carbon particles having surfaces modified with a proton dissociative functional group or an organic compound having said proton dissociative functional group.

6. The solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein a specific surface area of said catalyst-carrying carbon particles subjected to said surface modification is not less than 800 m²/g.

7. The solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein surface roughness on said bumpy face of said polyelectrolyte membrane is not less than 1 μ

m by average roughness (Ra).

8. A method of producing the solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 1, the method comprising:

a bumpy face forming step of forming said bumpy face on at least one surface of said polyelectrolyte membrane;

a catalyst-carrying carbon particles preparing step of preparing catalyst-carrying carbon particles by making carbon particles carry a catalyst;

an applying step of directly applying a catalyst paste containing catalyst-carrying carbon particles to at least said bumpy face of said polyelectrolyte membrane; and

a drying step of drying said catalyst paste to form said catalyst layer containing said catalyst-carrying carbon particles.

9. The method of producing the solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 8, wherein said catalyst layer formed on the bumpy face contains catalyst-carrying carbon particles having surfaces modified with a proton dissociative functional group or an organic compound having said proton dissociative functional group.

10. The method of producing the solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 8, wherein said catalyst layer formed on the bumpy face includes a first catalyst layer formed in contact with said polyelectrolyte membrane, and a second catalyst layer formed to be opposite to said polyelectrolyte membrane via said first catalyst layer, and

said first catalyst layer being formed by said applying step and said drying step,

the method further comprising the step of joining that joins said second catalyst layer to the surface of said first catalyst layer by thermocompression bonding.

11. The method of producing the solid polyelectrolyte type fuel cell according to claim 10, wherein, of said first catalyst layer and said second catalyst layer, only said first catalyst layer contains catalyst-carrying carbon particles having surfaces modified with a proton dissociative functional group or an organic compound having said proton dissociative functional group.