Method for producing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020075970-A1
Application number	US-201716468866-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 8, 2017
Priority date	Dec 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 5, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell comprises the following steps: a first step during which a reinforcement (2) is deposited on a first face of an ion-exchanging membrane (1), the membrane being held on a support film; a second step during which the membrane is unglued from the support film; a third step during which the reinforcement (2′) is deposited on the second face of the ion-exchanging membrane; and a fourth step during which a chemical catalyst element is deposited on the parts left free of the first and second faces of the membrane.

First claim

1 .- 6 . (canceled)

7 . A method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly for a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps:
(a) depositing a reinforcement on a first face of an ion-exchanging membrane, the membrane being held on a support film; (b) ungluing the membrane from the support film; (c) depositing a reinforcement on a second face of the membrane; and (d) depositing a chemical catalyst element on the first and second faces of the membrane.

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the chemical catalyst element is an ink comprising platinum, water and solvents.

9 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein the support film is a film made of a plastic material.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein the plastic material is polyethylene terephthalate.

11 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein step (d) is performed by a method selected from the group consisting of flexography, screenprinting and spraying.

12 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein seals are present on the reinforcements.

13 . A method for manufacturing an elementary cell for a fuel cell comprising two identical bipolar plates, surrounding a membrane-electrode assembly and two gas diffusion layers, the method comprising the following steps:
(a) placing a sheet of a material, used for forming seals for a fuel cell, on a cutting anvil; (b) installing two clamps for positioning the sheet on a cutting press; (c) cutting, with a tool a template of which depends on a form of the bipolar plates of the elementary cell, to delimit an internal form of a seal; (d) eliminating waste from the cutting of step (c) while keeping the seal in place with the clamps; (e) installing a membrane-electrode assembly, made by the method according to claim 7 , on the seal; (f) cutting to delimit an outer form of the seal; and (g) eliminating waste from the cutting of step (f).

Assignees

• Michelin & Cie

Inventors

• Blanc Claude
• Grand-Jean Arnaud

Classifications

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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

• H01M8/0286 Primary

  Processes for forming seals · CPC title

• H01M8/241

  with solid or matrix-supported electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M4/92

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