Polymer solution, fiber mat, and nanofiber membrane-electrode-assembly therewith, and method of fabricating same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017250431-A1
Application number	US-201415511709-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Oct 27, 2010
Publication date	Aug 31, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect of the present invention, a fiber mat is provided. The fiber mat includes at least one type of fibers, which includes one or more polymers. The fiber mat may be a single fiber mat which includes one type of fibers, or may be a dual or multi fiber mat which includes multiple types of fibers. The fibers may further include particles of a catalyst. The fiber mat may be used to form an electrode or a membrane. In a further aspect, a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly has an anode electrode, a cathode electrode, and a membrane disposed between the anode electrode and the cathode electrode. Each of the anode electrode, the cathode electrode and the membrane may be formed with a fiber mat.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An article of manufacture, comprising:
a fiber mat, comprising at least one type of fibers, wherein the at least one type of fibers comprises one or more polymers.

2 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber mat is a single fiber mat comprising one type of fibers, wherein the one type of fibers comprises the one or more polymers.

3 . The article of claim 2 , wherein the one type of fibers further comprises a plurality of particles of a catalyst.

4 . The article of claim 3 , wherein the catalyst comprises platinum (Pt) particles, Pt alloy particles, Pt on carbon particles, precious metal particles, precious metal on carbon particles, precious metal based alloys, precious metal based alloys on carbon particles, silver (Ag) particles, nickel (Ni) particles, Ag alloy particles, Ni alloy particles, iron (Fe) particles, Fe alloy particles, palladium (Pd) particles, Pd alloy particles, core-shell catalyst particles, non-platinum group metal (PGM) fuel cell catalysts, or a combination thereof.

5 . The article of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the one or more polymers serves as a polymer binder.

6 . The article of claim 5 , wherein the polymer binder comprises at least one of Nafion and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

7 . The article of claim 3 , wherein the fiber mat is used to form an electrode.

8 . The article of claim 7 , wherein the electrode is an anode electrode or a cathode electrode.

9 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber mat is a dual or multi fiber mat comprising a plurality of types of fibers, wherein each of the plurality of types of fibers comprises the one or more polymers.

10 . The article of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of types of fibers comprises a first polymer and a second polymer, and has a different ratio of the first polymer and the second polymer.

11 . The article of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of types of fibers comprises a polymer not in another of the plurality of types of fibers.

12 . The article of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the plurality of types of fibers further comprises a plurality of particles of a catalyst.

13 . The article of claim 12 , wherein the catalyst comprises platinum (Pt) particles, Pt alloy particles, Pt on carbon particles, precious metal particles, precious metal on carbon particles, precious metal based alloys, precious metal based alloys on carbon particles, silver (Ag) particles, nickel (Ni) particles, Ag alloy particles, Ni alloy particles, iron (Fe) particles, Fe alloy particles, palladium (Pd) particles, Pd alloy particles, core-shell catalyst particles, non-platinum group metal (PGM) fuel cell catalysts, or a combination thereof.

14 . The article of claim 12 , wherein in the at least one of the plurality of types of fibers comprising the plurality of particles of the catalyst, at least one of the one or more polymers serves as a polymer binder.

15 . The article of claim 14 , wherein the polymer binder comprises at least one of Nafion and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

16 . The article of claim 9 , wherein the fiber mat is used to form an electrode.

17 . The article of claim 16 , wherein the electrode is an anode electrode or a cathode electrode.

18 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber mat is used to form an ion exchange membrane.

19 . The article of claim 18 , wherein the ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane or an anion exchange membrane.

20 . The article of claim 1 , wherein the fiber mat is usable in an electrochemical device.

21 . The article of claim 20 , wherein the electrochemical device is a fuel cell membrane-electrode-assembly (MEA).

22 . An electrode, comprising:
a fiber mat, comprising at least one type of fibers, wherein the at least one type of fibers comprises one or more polymers, and a plurality of particles of a catalyst.

23 . The electrode of claim 22 , being an anode electrode or a cathode electrode.

24 . The electrode of claim 22 , wherein the catalyst comprises platinum (Pt) particles, Pt alloy particles, Pt on carbon particles, precious metal particles, precious metal on carbon particles, precious metal based alloys, precious metal based alloys on carbon particles, silver (Ag) particles, nickel (Ni) particles, Ag alloy particles, Ni alloy particles, iron (Fe) particles, Fe alloy particles, palladium (Pd) particles, Pd alloy particles, core-shell catalyst particles, non-platinum group metal (PGM) fuel cell catalysts, or a combination thereof.

25 . The electrode of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the one or more polymers serves as a polymer binder.

26 . The electrode of claim 25 , wherein the polymer binder comprises at least one of Nafion and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

27 . The electrode of claim 22 , wherein the fiber mat is a single fiber mat comprising one type of fibers, wherein the one type of fibers comprises the one or more polymers and the plurality of particles of the catalyst.

28 . The electrode of claim 22 , wherein the fiber mat is a dual or multi fiber mat, comprising a plurality of types of fibers, wherein each of the plurality of types of fibers comprises the one or more polymers, and at least one of the plurality of types fibers comprises the plurality of particles of the catalyst.

29 . The electrode of claim 28 , wherein in the at least one of the plurality of types of fibers comprising the plurality of particles of the catalyst, at least one of the one or more polymers serves as a polymer binder.

30 . The electrode of claim 29 , wherein the polymer binder comprises at least one of Nafion and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF).

31 . The electrode of claim 28 , wherein each of the plurality of types of fibers comprises a first polymer and a second polymer, and has a different ratio of the first polymer and the second polymer.

32 . The electrode of claim 28 , wherein at least one of the plurality of types of fibers comprises a polymer not in another of the plurality of types of fibers.

33 . A membrane, comprising:
a fiber mat, comprising at least one type of fibers, wherein the at least one type of fibers comprises one or more polymers.

34 . The membrane of claim 33 , being an ion exchange membrane.

35 . The membrane of claim 34 , wherein the ion exchange membrane is a cation exchange membrane or an anion exchange membrane.

36 . The membrane of claim 33 , wherein the fiber mat is a single fiber mat comprising one type of fibers, wherein the one type of fibers comprises the one or more polymers.

37 . The membrane of claim 33 , wherein the fiber mat is a dual or multi fiber mat, comprising a plurality of types of fibers, wherein each of the plurality of types of fibers comprises the one or more polymers.

38 . The membrane of claim 37 , wherein each of the plurality of types of fibers comprises a first polymer and a second polymer, and has a different ratio of the first polymer and the second polymer.

39 . The membrane of claim 37 , wherein at least one of the plurality of types of fibers comprises a polymer not in another of the plurality of types of fibers.

40 . T

Assignees

• Univ Vanderbilt

Inventors

• Pintauro Peter N
• Zhang Wenjing
• Brodt Matthew
• Park Andrew M
• Ballengee Jason B
• Wycisk Ryszard

Classifications

• H01M4/8652

  as mixture · CPC title

• H01M4/9041

  Metals or alloys (H01M4/92 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/1065

  characterised by the form, e.g. perforated or wave-shaped · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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

• H01M4/92

  Metals of platinum group (H01M4/94 {, H01M4/9058} take precedence) · CPC title