Polymer electrode membrane for fuel, and membrane-electrode assembly and fuel cell system comprising the same

• US 8,257,825 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2006
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Samsung SDI Company Limited
• Inventors: Kim, Hee-Tak, Kweon, Ho-jin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hai
• Application Number:
  US11/330,737
• Publication Number:
  US 20060154128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,428 Days
• Field of Search: 428/305.5, 428/306.6, 428/307.3, 428/307.7, 428/311.51, 429/30, 429/33, 429/492, 429/532
• US Class Current: 428/305.5
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2379/06 Polyhydrazides; Polytriazoles; Polyamino-triazoles; Polyoxadiazoles
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/2275 Heterogeneous membranes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2300/0088 Composites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1023 having only carbon, e.g. polyarylenes, polystyrenes or polybutadiene-styrenes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1025 having only carbon and oxygen, e.g. polyethers, sulfonated polyetheretherketones [S-PEEK], sulfonated polysaccharides, sulfonated celluloses or sulfonated polyesters
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1027 having carbon, oxygen and other atoms, e.g. sulfonated polyethersulfones [S-PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/103 having nitrogen, e.g. sulfonated polybenzimidazoles [S-PBI], polybenzimidazoles with phosphoric acid, sulfonated polyamides [S-PA] or sulfonated polyphosphazenes [S-PPh]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1032 having sulfur, e.g. sulfonated-polyethersulfones [S-PES]
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1039 halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/106 characterised by the chemical composition of the porous support
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249954 With chemically effective material or specified gas other than air, N, or carbon dioxide in void-containing component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249955 Void-containing component partially impregnated with adjacent component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249956 Void-containing component is inorganic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249957 Inorganic impregnant
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249964 Fibers of defined composition

Abstract

The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, including a porous membrane including ceramic fibers crisscrossed in a network and pores formed by the ceramic fibers coalesced at intersection points, and a proton conductive polymer inside the pores.

Claims

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

a porous membrane comprising ceramic fibers crisscrossed in a network and pores formed by the ceramic fibers coalesced at the intersection points, and

a proton conductive polymer in the pores,

wherein the ceramic fibers comprise from 3 to 30 wt % of the proton conductive polymer membrane, wherein a size of the pores is from 0.01 to 3 μ

m, and wherein the proton conductive polymer membrane is adapted to conduct protons without conducting electrons.

2. The proton conductive polymer membrane of claim 1, wherein the ceramic fiber is selected from the group consisting of silica fiber, alumina fiber, aluminosilicate fiber, aluminoborosilicate fiber, and mixtures thereof.

3. The proton conductive polymer membrane of claim 1, wherein the ceramic fiber is coalesced at intersection points by a coalescing agent.

4. The proton conductive polymer membrane of claim 3, wherein the coalescing agent is a compound selected from the group consisting of B₂O₃, BN, B₄C, SiB₄, SiB₆, and mixtures thereof.

5. The proton conductive polymer membrane of claim 1, wherein the ceramic fiber is coated with a coalescing agent.

6. The proton conductive polymer membrane of claim 1, wherein the proton conductive polymer is selected from the group consisting of perfluoro-based polymers, benzimidazole-based polymers, polyether-based polymers, polyimide-based polymers, polyetherimide-based polymers, polyamide-based polymers, polyphenylenesulfide-based polymers, polysulfone-based polymers, polyethersulfone-based polymers, polyetherketone-based polymers, polyether-etherketone-based polymers, polyphenylquinoxaline-based polymers, and mixtures thereof.