Method of transferring catalyst layer and jig used therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9509007-B2
Application number	US-201314412332-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2013
Priority date	Jul 2, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A transferring method for transferring a catalyst layer to a desired position on an electrolyte film includes the following processes. A multi-layer body is formed by stacking base materials and an electrolyte film on one another such that catalyst layers formed on the base materials are brought into contact with the electrolyte film. The multi-layer body is pressed from a stacking direction. The multi-layer body is heated to a first temperature. The heating is stopped after a predetermined time passes from when pressing is started. The pressing is stopped when the temperature of the catalyst layers becomes a second temperature or lower, which is a temperature lower than the first temperature, after the heating is stopped.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of transferring a catalyst layer, comprising:
a process of forming a multi-layer body in a positioning member, wherein the positioning member includes a bottom portion and a frame-like inner wall rising from the bottom portion that receives the multi-layer body, by stacking base materials and an electrolyte film on one another such that catalyst layers formed on the base materials are brought into contact with the electrolyte film;
a process of setting a holding member on the multi-layer body to interpose the multi-layer body between the holding member and positioning member, the holding member having a same shape and size as the electrolyte film and the base materials;
pressing all components of the multi-layer body by transmitting pressing force from a pressing apparatus through the holding member from a stacking direction;
a process of heating the multi-layer body to a first temperature;
a process of stopping the heating after a predetermined time passes from when pressing is started;
a process of stopping pressing performed by the pressing apparatus when the temperature of the catalyst layers becomes a second temperature or lower, which is a temperature lower than the first temperature and higher than room temperature, after the heating is stopped; and
a process of removing the multi-layer body from the pressing apparatus and storing the multi-layer body with all components of the multi-layer body being subject to a weight of the holding member in a different storage location whose temperature is set to room temperature lower than or equal to the second temperature.

2. The method of transferring a catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the first temperature is set in a range of 100° C. to a temperature of a softening point of the electrolyte film.

3. The method of transferring a catalyst layer according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the multi-layer body before pressing is smaller than the height of the inner wall, and
the total of the thickness of the holding member and the thickness of the multi-layer body before pressing is greater than the height of the inner wall.

4. The method of transferring a catalyst layer according to claim 3 , wherein the height of the inner wall is set such that pressing force necessary for transferring the catalyst layer to the electrolyte film is obtained at the time when the height of the inner wall and the total of the thickness of the multi-layer body after pressing and the thickness of the holding member become equal to each other.

Assignees

• Nissan Motor

Inventors

• Yamamoto Masaya
• Toyoshima Kenichi
• Ono Kei
• Horibe Norifumi
• Terasaki Takayuki

Classifications

• H01M4/88 Primary

  Processes of manufacture · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

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

• Y10T29/53135

  Storage cell or battery · CPC title

• H01M8/10 Primary

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• Y02E60/521

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic