Electrolyte membrane for fuel cells and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021135266-A1
Application number	US-202017065154-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 7, 2020
Priority date	Oct 30, 2019
Publication date	May 6, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electrolyte membrane for fuel cells having improved chemical durability and a method of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the method includes preparing a polymer film, depositing catalyst metal on one surface or opposite surfaces of the polymer film to obtain a reinforcement layer, and impregnating the reinforcement layer with an ionomer to obtain an electrolyte membrane.

First claim

1 . A method of manufacturing an electrolyte membrane for fuel cells, the method comprising:
preparing a polymer film; depositing catalyst metal on one surface or opposite surfaces of the polymer film to produce a reinforcement layer; and impregnating the reinforcement layer with an ionomer to obtain an electrolyte membrane.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising drying the electrolyte membrane.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer film comprises polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE).

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst metal comprises one selected from a group consisting of platinum (Pt), gold (Au), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir), ruthenium (Ru), and a combination thereof.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the catalyst metal has a particle form; and a particle diameter of the catalyst metal is 1 nm to 50 nm.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalyst metal is deposited on the polymer film by sputtering or atomic layer deposition (ALD).

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer film is stretched to produce the reinforcement layer before and after the catalyst metal is deposited.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer film is stretched to produce the reinforcement layer before or after the catalyst metal is deposited.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the reinforcement layer is a porous membrane comprising a surface and pores; and the catalyst metal is deposited only on the surface of the reinforcement layer.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a loading amount of the catalyst metal deposited on the reinforcement layer is 0.001 mg/cm 2 to 0.1 mg/cm 2 .

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the reinforcement layer is 5 μm to 15 μm, and porosity of the reinforcement layer is 70% to 90%.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a maximum tensile strength of the reinforcement layer based on ASTM D882 is 5 MPa to 110 MPa.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the impregnating the reinforcement layer with an ionomer to obtain an electrolyte membrane comprises:
applying an ionomer to release paper; providing the reinforcement layer on the ionomer to impregnate one surface of the reinforcement layer with the ionomer; and impregnating the other surface of the reinforcement layer with the ionomer.

14 . An electrolyte membrane for fuel cells, the electrolyte membrane comprising:
a reinforcement layer impregnated with an ionomer, the reinforcement layer having catalyst metal deposited on one surface or opposite surfaces thereof; and an ion exchange layer formed on each of the opposite surfaces of the reinforcement layer.

15 . The electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 , wherein the reinforcement layer comprises porous expanded-polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE) stretched uniaxially or biaxially.

16 . The electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 , wherein:
the catalyst metal has a particle form; and a particle diameter of the catalyst metal is 1 nm to 50 nm.

17 . The electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 , wherein:
the reinforcement layer is a porous membrane comprising a surface and pores; and the catalyst metal is deposited only on the surface of the reinforcement layer.

18 . The electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 , wherein a loading amount of the catalyst metal deposited on the reinforcement layer is 0.001 mg/cm 2 to 0.1 mg/cm 2 .

19 . The electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 , wherein:
a thickness of the reinforcement layer is 5 μm to 15 μm; and a porosity of the reinforcement layer is 70% to 90%.

20 . The electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 , wherein a maximum tensile strength of the reinforcement layer based on ASTM D882 is 5 MPa to 110 MPa.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Yong Min
• Kim Byoung Su
• Oh Seung Jeong
• Hong Woong Pyo
• Kim Min Kyung

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/1048

  Ion-conducting additives, e.g. ion-conducting particles, heteropolyacids, metal phosphate or polybenzimidazole with phosphoric acid · CPC title

• H01M4/8878

  Treatment steps after deposition of the catalytic active composition or after shaping of the electrode being free-standing body · CPC title

• H01M4/8867

  Vapour deposition · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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