Electrochemical hydrogen pump

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021285427-A1
Application number	US-202117332063-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 27, 2021
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Sep 16, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical hydrogen pump includes an electrolyte membrane, an anode on a first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode on a second primary surface of the electrolyte membrane, and an anode separator on the anode. The anode includes an anode catalyst layer on the first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane and an anode gas diffusion layer on the anode catalyst layer. The anode gas diffusion layer includes a porous carbon sheet that is a powder molded body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An electrochemical hydrogen pump comprising:
an electrolyte membrane; an anode on a first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode on a second primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; and an anode separator on the anode, wherein the anode includes an anode catalyst layer on the first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane and an anode gas diffusion layer on the anode catalyst layer, and the anode gas diffusion layer includes a porous carbon sheet that is a powder molded body.

2 . An electrochemical hydrogen pump comprising:
an electrolyte membrane; an anode on a first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; a cathode on a second primary surface of the electrolyte membrane; and an anode separator on the anode, wherein the anode includes an anode catalyst layer on the first primary surface of the electrolyte membrane and an anode gas diffusion layer on the anode catalyst layer, the anode gas diffusion layer includes a porous carbon sheet whose first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, contains amorphous carbon, and wherein the porous carbon sheet is analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, D/G>1.0.

3 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a Young's modulus in a direction of thickness higher than or equal to 2.5 GPa at least in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof.

4 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a Young's modulus in a direction of thickness higher than or equal to 7.8 GPa at least in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof.

5 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a flexural strength higher than or equal to 10 MPa at least in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof.

6 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a flexural strength higher than or equal to 20 MPa at least in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof.

7 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity lower than or equal to 45% at least in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof.

8 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity lower than or equal to 39% at least in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof.

9 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 7 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity lower than or equal to 45% in a second surface layer, which is closer to the anode catalyst layer, thereof.

10 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 8 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a porosity lower than or equal to 39% in a second surface layer, which is closer to the anode catalyst layer, thereof.

11 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has higher rigidity in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof than in a layer lying under the first surface layer.

12 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 11 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has higher rigidity in a second surface layer, which is closer to the anode catalyst layer, thereof than in a layer lying under the second surface layer.

13 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a lower porosity in a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, thereof than in a layer lying under the first surface layer.

14 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 13 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a lower porosity in a second surface layer, which is closer to the anode catalyst layer, thereof than in a layer lying under the second surface layer.

15 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has a peak pore diameter smaller than a thickness of the electrolyte membrane.

16 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon sheet has an overall porosity higher than or equal to 20%.

17 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein a second surface layer, which is closer to the anode catalyst layer, of the anode gas diffusion layer is water-repellent.

18 . The electrochemical hydrogen pump according to claim 1 , wherein a first surface layer, which is closer to the anode separator, of the anode gas diffusion layer is hydrophilic.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakaue Takayuki
• Ukai Kunihiro

Classifications

• C25B13/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• C25B11/065

  Carbon · CPC title

• C25B11/052

  Electrodes comprising one or more electrocatalytic coatings on a substrate · CPC title

• C25B11/032

  Gas diffusion electrodes · CPC title

• C25B9/77

  having diaphragms · CPC title