PPS electrode reinforcing material/crack mitigant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631105-B2
Application number	US-201213568499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 7, 2012
Priority date	Aug 7, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A metal electrode assembly for fuel cell applications includes a cathode catalyst layer, an anode catalyst layer, and an ion-conducting membrane disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer. The cathode catalyst layer or the anode layer each independently including a catalyst composition and a first polymer wherein at least one of the cathode catalyst layer or the anode layer include a first polymer and polyphenylene sulfide-containing structures. A method for making a fuel cell catalyst layer is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A metal electrode assembly for a fuel cell, the metal electrode assembly comprising:
a cathode catalyst layer;
an anode catalyst layer, the cathode catalyst layer or the anode catalyst layer each independently including a catalyst composition wherein at least one of the cathode catalyst layer or the anode catalyst layer includes a first polymer and polyphenylene sulfide-containing structures that are coated with an electrically conductive layer, the polyphenylene sulfide-containing structures having the following formula:

wherein PG is a protogenic group; and
n is a number from about 20 to about 500 on average; and
an ion-conducting membrane disposed between the cathode catalyst layer and the anode catalyst layer,
wherein the polyphenylene sulfide-containing structures include a component selected from the group consisting of fibers, beads, spheres, and oblong shapes.

2. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the catalyst composition includes a precious metal or a precious metal-containing compound.

3. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the protogenic group is SO 2 X, —PO 3 H 2 , or —COX where X is an —OH, a halogen, or an ester.

4. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the polyphenylene sulfide-containing structures have an average spatial dimension from about 5 nanometers to about 10 microns.

5. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the ion-conducting membrane has an average thickness from about 5 microns to about 50 microns.

6. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the first polymer is selected from the group consisting of perfluorosulfonic acid polymer, perfluorocyclobutyl-containing polymers and combinations thereof.

7. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the first polymer includes a perfluorocyclobutyl-containing polymer.

8. The metal electrode assembly of claim 1 wherein the first polymer includes a combination of a perfluorocyclobutyl-containing polymer and a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer.

Assignees

• Mitchell James
• Fuller Timothy J
• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Mitchell James
• Fuller Timothy J

Classifications

• C09D11/52 Primary

  Electrically conductive inks · CPC title

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title

• H01M8/1007

  with both reactants being gaseous or vaporised (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M4/925

  supported on carriers, e.g. powder carriers · CPC title

• H01M4/8846

  Impregnation · CPC title