High durability fuel cell components with cerium salt additives

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9431670-B2
Application number	US-201314098163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Oct 28, 2005
Publication date	Aug 30, 2016
Grant date	Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

A fuel cell membrane electrode assembly is provided comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane which comprises a polymer that comprises bound anionic functional groups, wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane additionally comprises cerium cations. In another aspect, a fuel cell membrane electrode assembly is provided comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane which comprises a polymer that comprises bound anionic functional groups, wherein at least a portion of the anionic functional groups are in acid form and at least a portion of the anionic functional groups are neutralized by cerium cations. In another aspect, a polymer electrolyte membrane is provided which comprises a polymer that comprises bound anionic functional groups, wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane additionally comprises cerium cations, and wherein the amount of cerium cations present is between 0.001 and 0.5 charge equivalents based on the molar amount of acid functional groups present in the polymer electrolyte, more typically between 0.005 and 0.2, more typically between 0.01 and 0.1, and more typically between 0.02 and 0.05.

First claim

We claim:

1. A fuel cell membrane electrode assembly comprising a polymer electrolyte membrane which comprises a polymer that comprises bound anionic functional groups, wherein said polymer further comprises at least one cerium salt where the at least one cerium salt includes cerium cations selected from the group consisting of Ce 3+ cations, Ce 4+ cations, and combinations thereof, wherein the total amount of cerium cations present is between 0.0025 and 0.1667 mole equivalent based on the molar amount of anionic functional groups present in the polymer, wherein the distribution of the cerium cations across the thickness of said polymer electrolyte membrane is uniform, and wherein the polymer contains fluorine in an amount of at least 40 wt %.

2. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , where said cations are Ce 3+ cations only.

3. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , where said cations are Ce 4+ cations only.

4. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer has an equivalent weight of 1000 or less.

5. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer has an equivalent weight of 900 or less.

6. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer has an equivalent weight of 800 or less.

7. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer is perfluorinated.

8. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer comprises pendent groups according to the formula:
—O—CF 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —SO 3 H.

9. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer comprises pendent groups according to the formula:
—O—CF 2 —CF(CF 3 )—O—CF 2 —CF 2 —SO 3 H.

10. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer electrolyte membrane additionally comprises a porous support.

11. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly to claim 1 , wherein said polymer electrolyte membrane does not comprise a porous support.

12. The fuel cell membrane electrode assembly according to claim 1 , wherein said polymer is crosslinked.

13. A polymer electrolyte membrane which comprises a polymer that comprises bound anionic functional groups, wherein said polymer further comprises at least one cerium salt where the at least one cerium salt includes cerium cations selected from the group consisting of Ce 3+ cations, Ce 4+ cations, and combinations thereof, wherein the total amount of cerium cations present is between 0.0025 and 0.1667 mole equivalent based on the molar amount of anionic functional groups present in the polymer, wherein the distribution of the cerium cations across the thickness of said polymer electrolyte membrane is uniform, and wherein the polymer contains fluorine in an amount of at least 40 wt %.

14. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 where said cerium salt includes Ce 3+ cations only.

15. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 where said cerium salt includes Ce 4+ cations only.

16. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 wherein said polymer has an equivalent weight of 1000 or less.

17. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 wherein said polymer has an equivalent weight of 900 or less.

18. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 wherein said polymer has an equivalent weight of 800 or less.

19. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 wherein said polymer is perfluorinated.

20. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 wherein said polymer comprises pendent groups according to the formula:
—O—CF 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —CF 2 —SO 3 H.

21. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 13 wherein said polymer comprises pendent groups according to the formula:
—O—CF 2 —CF(CF 3 )—O—CF 2 —CF 2 —SO 3 H.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Frey Matthew H
• Pierpont Daniel M
• Hamrock Steven J

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M8/1004

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

• Y02P70/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• C08J5/2237

  containing fluorine · CPC title

• H01M8/1081

  starting from solutions, dispersions or slurries exclusively of polymers · CPC title