Polymer electrolyte fuel cell

• US 6,106,965 A
• Filed: 03/31/1997
• Issued: 08/22/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BDF IP Holdings Ltd. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation
• Inventors: Hirano, Shinichi, Fujikawa, Futoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): WEINER, LAURA S
• Application Number:
  US08/831,009
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 429/30, 429/41, 429/44, 429/40, 429/45
• US Class Current: 429/482
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0082 Organic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/926 on carbon or graphite
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1004 characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] H01M8/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell including a solid polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode side electrocatalyst electrode provided at one side of the polymer electrolyte membrane and an cathode side electrocatalyst electrode provided at the other side of the polymer, a membrane-like electrocatalyst layer permitting mass transfer therethrough provided at a boundary surface of an electrocatalyst layer for an oxygen reduction reaction in the polymer electrolyte membrane in the cathode side electrocatalyst electrode, and the membrane-like electrocatalyst layer including an electrocatalyst substance. A power generation efficiency can be remarkably improved with a simply structure and advantageous cost performance in the field of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell.

Claims

1. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell including

(a) a solid polymer electrolyte membrane having two sides,

(b) an anode electrode having two sides with one of the sides bonded to one side of the polymer electrolyte membrane,

(c) a cathode electrode having two sides with one of the sides bonded to the other side of the polymer electrolyte membrane,

(d) said cathode electrode comprising

(i) an electrocatalyst layer on said one side of said cathode electrode composed of platinum loading carbon black particles sintered together with a binder,

(ii) said one side of said electrocatalyst layer having a surface portion,

(iii) an electrocatalyst membrane composed of platinum loading carbon composite formed on said surface portion of said electrocatalyst layer,

(e) said surface portion of said electrocatalyst layer being bonded to the other side of the polymer electrolyte membrane with said electrocatalyst membrane interposed therebetween.

2. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 wherein the said electrocatalyst membrane is less than about 1 μ

m thick.

3. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst membrane is at least 0.01 mg/cm².

4. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst membrane is from about 0.01 to about 0.1 mg/cm².

5. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 4 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst membrane is from about 0.03 to about 0.07 mg/cm².

6. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 wherein said surface portion of said electrocatalyst layer is porous and platinum loading carbon composite is bonded in the electrocatalyst layer up to a depth of about 5 μ

m.

7. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst layer is from about 0.30 to about 0.40 mg/cm².

8. A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 7 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst layer is about 0.35 mg/cm².

9. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell which includes the steps of;

(a) bonding a surface of an anode electrode to one side of a polymer electrolyte membrane having two sides,

(b) establishing a cathode electrode comprising (i) an electrocatalyst layer on one side of said cathode electrode composed of platinum loading carbon black particles sintered together with a binder, (ii) said electrocatalyst layer having a surface portion, (iii) forming an electrocatalyst membrane composed of platinum loading carbon composite on said surface portion, and

(c) bonding said cathode electrode to the other side of said solid polymer electrolyte membrane with said surface portion of said electrocatalyst layer bonded to the other side of the polymer electrolyte membrane with said electrocatalyst membrane interposed therebetween.

10. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 9 wherein said electrocatalyst membrane has a thickness of less than about 1 μ

m.

11. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 9 wherein the electrocatalyst membrane is formed by sputtering.

12. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 9 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst membrane is at least 0.01 mg/cm².

13. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 12 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst membrane is from about 0.01 to about 0.1 mg/cm².

14. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 13 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst membrane is from about 0.03 to about 0.07 mg/cm².

15. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 9 wherein platinum loading carbon composite is bonded in said surface portion of said electrocatalyst layer up to a depth of about 5 μ

m.

16. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 9 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst layer is from about 0.30 to about 0.40 mg/cm².

17. A method for preparing a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 16 wherein the density of platinum in said electrocatalyst layer is about 0.35 mg/cm².