Electrochemical membrane
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsJoshua M. Bartels, Wen Liu, Alexander L. Agapov
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to electrolyzer composite membranes, and in particular, to a composite membrane having at least two reinforcing layers comprising a microporous polymer structure and a surprisingly high resistance to piercing. The electrolyzer composite membranes have a recombination catalyst configured to be disposed closer to an anode than to a cathode in a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). The disclosure also relates to membrane-electrode assemblies and electrolyzers comprising the membranes, and to method of manufacture of the membranes.
Claims29
An electrolyzer composite membrane, comprising:
- a) a reinforcing structure comprising at least two reinforcing layers, each of said at least two reinforcing layers comprising a microporous polymer structure;
- and
- b) an ion exchange material (IEM) at least partially imbibed within the microporous polymer structure of each of the at least two reinforcing layers and rendering the microporous polymer structure occlusive;
- and
- c) a recombination catalyst, wherein the recombination catalyst is configured to be disposed closer to an anode than to a cathode of an electrolyzer composite membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and in direct contact with the anode, such that the recombination catalyst is on an outermost surface of the electrolyzer composite membrane and extends into the electrolyzer composite membrane from the outermost surface such that recombination catalyst is imbibed within at least one of the reinforcing layers of the electrolyzer composite membrane, wherein the electrolyzer composite membrane has a thickness at 50% RH of at least about 20 μm and the recombination catalyst extends from the outermost surface into the electrolyzer composite membrane in a range of from 1% to 50% of the thickness of the electrolyzer composite membrane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.