Method for producing fuel cell membrane electrode assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10147962-B2
Application number	US-201715460742-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Mar 18, 2016
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

To provide a method for producing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly that can prevent the required catalyst layer from being removed, while suppressing damage to the electrolyte membrane. A method for producing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly MEA includes: a step of bonding a polymer electrolyte membrane PEM and a first catalyst layer-including substrate GDE1; a step of making a cut CL so that the first catalyst layer-including substrate GDE bonded with the polymer electrolyte membrane PEM becomes a predetermined shape; a step of peeling an unwanted portion GDE12 of the first catalyst layer-including substrate GDE1 from the polymer electrolyte membrane PEM; a step of irradiating a laser beam LB2 penetrating the polymer electrolyte membrane PEM without penetrating the first catalyst layer-including substrate GDE1 onto the polymer electrolyte membrane PEM, and removing residue RD of the first catalyst layer-including substrate GDE1 adhering on the polymer electrolyte membrane PEM.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of:
preparing an electrolyte membrane;
preparing a catalyst layer-including substrate in which a first catalyst layer is formed on one face of a sheet-like substrate;
laminating the catalyst layer-including substrate so that the first catalyst layer opposes one face of the electrolyte membrane;
bonding the electrolyte membrane and the catalyst layer-including substrate;
making a cut so that the catalyst layer-including substrate bonded with the electrolyte membrane becomes a predetermined shape;
peeling an unwanted portion of the catalyst layer-including substrate other than the predetermined shape portion from the electrolyte membrane;
irradiating energy rays that penetrate the electrolyte membrane without penetrating the catalyst layer-including substrate onto a portion of the electrolyte membrane to which the unwanted portion is bonded, and removing residue of the catalyst layer-including substrate adhering on the electrolyte membrane; and
forming a second catalyst layer on one other face of the electrolyte membrane, and punching out the electrolyte membrane and the second catalyst layer so that the catalyst layer-including substrate of the predetermined shape bonded to the one face is surrounded.

2. The method for producing a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the energy rays have a transmittance relative to the electrolyte membrane of at least 80%.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yokoi Mai
• Matsuo Kazuhide
• Konishi Shunsuke
• Hori Yuichi

Classifications

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/8875

  Methods for shaping the electrode into free-standing bodies, like sheets, films or grids, e.g. moulding, hot-pressing, casting without support, extrusion without support · CPC title

• H01M4/881

  Electrolytic membranes · CPC title

• B32B2307/40

  having particular optical properties · CPC title