Method for producing roll-type gas diffusion layer having excellent spreading property

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10923732-B2
Application number	US-201716340908-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A method for producing a roll-type gas diffusion layer is disclosed. The method includes preparing a carbon paper from carbon fiber chops having a low modulus of 10 to 100 Gpa; impregnating the prepared carbon paper with a phenol resin, and then carbonizing the resin-impregnated carbon paper at 1,800 to 2,400° C.; forming a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene resin layer on one side of the carbonized carbon paper, to prepare a gas diffusion layer sheet; and winding the prepared gas diffusion layer sheet on a roll. Since the roll of gas diffusion layer is formed using the carbon fiber chops having a low modulus, the gas diffusion layer exhibits excellent and uniform spreading properties. Therefore, sealing between the gas diffusion layer and the fuel cell separation plate is reliably secured without using a separate binder.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a roll of gas diffusion layer sheet, comprising:
(i) performing heat treatment on a cellulose fiber as a carbon fiber precursor at a temperature of 1,750 to 2,450° C. to prepare a carbon fiber having a strength of 0.5 to 1.2 Gpa and a modulus of 10 to 100 Gpa;
(ii) cutting the prepared carbon fiber in a length of 3 to 56 mm to prepare carbon fiber chops, and then introducing the carbon fiber chops into a paper pulp-manufacturing apparatus along with a binder fiber, a surfactant, a thickener, and an anti-foaming agent, so as to prepare a carbon paper sheet;
(iii) impregnating the prepared carbon paper sheet with a resin, carbonizing the resin-impregnated carbon paper sheet at 1,800 to 2,400° C., and forming a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene resin layer on one surface of the carbonized carbon paper, so as to prepare a gas diffusion layer sheet; and
(iv) winding the prepared gas diffusion layer sheet on a roll to give the roll of gas diffusion layer sheet,
wherein the carbon fiber has a diameter of 6 to 10 μm, an electrical resistivity of 0.0001 to 0.9 Ω·cm, and a density of 1.4 to 1.5 g/cm 3 , and
wherein the carbon paper sheet produced in (ii) has a weight of 15 to 100 g/m 2 .

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the resin used for impregnating the carbon paper sheet is one selected from the group consisting of a phenol resin and a polyvinylphenol resin.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cellulose fiber is one selected from the group consisting of an acetate fiber, a rayon fiber, a Lyocell fiber, a cotton fiber, and a lignin fiber.

Assignees

• Kolon Inc

Inventors

• Yoon Joon Young
• Yong Da Kyoung

Classifications

• D21H19/10

  Coatings without pigments (D21H19/66 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D01F9/16 Primary

  from products of vegetable origin or derivatives thereof, e.g. from cellulose acetate (D01F9/18 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/8807 Primary

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title

• D01F9/12

  Carbon filaments; Apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture thereof · CPC title

• D21H17/70

  forming new compounds in situ, e.g. within the pulp or paper, by chemical reaction with other substances added separately · CPC title