Highly durable electrolyte membrane having improved ion conductivity and production method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11749816-B2
Application number	US-202117537165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2021
Priority date	Dec 31, 2020
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed are a highly durable electrolyte membrane having improved ion conductivity and a method of producing the same. The electrolyte membrane may include an ionomer having hydrogen ion conductivity and a complex dispersed in the ionomer. The complex may include: a support; a primary antioxidant loaded on the support and having radical scavenging ability; and a secondary antioxidant loaded on the support and having peroxide decomposition activity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrolyte membrane for a membrane-electrode assembly, comprising:
an ionomer having hydrogen ion conductivity; and
a complex dispersed in the ionomer,
wherein the complex comprises:
a support;
a primary antioxidant loaded on the support and having radical scavenging ability; and
a secondary antioxidant loaded on the support and having hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity.

2. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises one or more of titanium nitride, and titanium oxide.

3. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the support comprises titanium nitride in an inner portion thereof, and comprises titanium oxide on at least a portion of a surface thereof.

4. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the support has an X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern in which a peak attributable to titanium nitride, a peak attributable to a titanium oxide having an anatase crystal structure, and a peak attributable to a titanium oxide having a rutile crystal structure are found.

5. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the primary antioxidant comprises one or more of cerium-based oxides and manganese-based oxides.

6. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein a content of the primary antioxidant is about 3 μg/cm 2 to 35 μg/cm 2 .

7. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the secondary antioxidant comprises one ore more selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), osmium (Os), iridium (Ir), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), silver (Ag), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), titanium (Ti), and iron (Fe).

8. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the secondary antioxidant has a crystal size of about 5 nm to 20 nm.

9. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , wherein the secondary antioxidant has a density of about 2 μg/cm 3 to 4 μg/cm 3 .

10. The electrolyte membrane of claim 1 , further comprising a composite membrane comprising a reinforcing layer and an ion transport material impregnated in the reinforcing layer, wherein an ion transport layer formed on at least one surface of the composite membrane comprises the ionomer and the complex.

11. A fuel cell comprising the electrolyte membrane of claim 1 .

12. A water electrolysis device comprising the electrolyte membrane of claim 1 .

13. A method for producing an electrolyte membrane for a membrane-electrode assembly, comprising:
loading a secondary antioxidant having hydrogen peroxide decomposition activity on a support;
obtaining a complex by loading a primary antioxidant having radical scavenging ability on the support having the secondary antioxidant loaded thereon; and
producing an electrolyte membrane by applying a mixture obtained by dispersing the complex in an ionomer.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the support comprises titanium nitride, and before the primary antioxidant is loaded, the support having the secondary antioxidant loaded thereon is oxidized by drying in an air atmosphere.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the support oxidized comprises titanium nitride in an inner portion thereof, and comprises titanium oxide on at least a portion of a surface thereof.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the drying is performed at a temperature of about 60° C. to 100° C.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the drying is performed for up to about 60 minutes from a time point when the secondary antioxidant reacts with atmospheric air.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein an ion transport layer is formed by applying the mixture to at least one surface of a composite membrane comprising a reinforcing layer and an ion transport material impregnated in the reinforcing layer.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Park in yu
• Kim Byoung Su
• Son Dae Yong
• Oh Jong Kil

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0293 Primary

  Matrices for immobilising electrolyte solutions · CPC title

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• C25B1/04 Primary

  by electrolysis of water · CPC title