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Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsScott Alan Ripley, Donald Ivan Hirsch, William Frederic Bader
Estimating the term…
Components for the manufacture of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells are provided, as well as apparatus and automatable methods for their manufacture by rotary die cutting and by lamination of various layers to form membrane electrode assemblies. A method and apparatus for performing the method are provided for making a membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of providing a web of polymer electrolyte membrane material and a laminating station, where the web of polymer electrolyte membrane material is drawn between a pair of laminating rollers in the laminating station which form a laminating nip; die-cutting a first and second web of catalyst decal materials or electrode materials to make first and second workpieces at first and second rotary die stations; which typically have a shape other than a four-sided parallelogram; holding the die-cut workpieces by action of sub-ambient air pressure to an endless perforated belt of first and second vacuum conveyors, typically before they are fully cut from the first and second webs; transporting first and second workpieces to opposing sides of the membrane in the laminating station; concurrently feeding the first and second workpieces into the laminating nip adjacent to the membrane, typically before they are fully released by the first and second vacuum conveyors; and laminating the first and second workpieces to the membrane, advantageously in accurate registration.
A die-cut catalyst decal comprising a liner layer and a co-extensive catalyst layer, said catalyst layer comprising particulate catalyst metal, wherein said decal has a perimeter which is a shape other than a four-sided parallelogram.
A die-cut electrode comprising a fluid transport layer and a co-extensive catalyst layer, said catalyst layer comprising particulate catalyst metal, wherein said electrode has a perimeter which is a shape other than a four-sided parallelogram.
A membrane comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, which comprises:
A continuous web containing a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies which comprises:
A membrane comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, which comprises:
A membrane comprising a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, which comprises:
A method of making a membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of:
A method of making a membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of:
An apparatus for making a membrane electrode assembly comprising:
An apparatus for making a membrane electrode assembly comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.
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Fuel cells with solid electrolytes: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA]
Inert electrodes with catalytic activity, e.g. for fuel cells: porous electrodes
Supports for the deposition of the catalytic active composition: temporary supports, e.g. decal
Processes of manufacture: methods for shaping the electrode into free-standing bodies, like sheets, films or grids, e.g. moulding, hot-pressing,…
Term end not estimated
This invention relates to components for the manufacture of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells and apparatus and automatable methods for their manufacture by lamination of various layers to form membrane electrode assemblies.
U.S. Pats. Nos. 6,159,327, 6,007,660 and 5,783,024 disclose an apparatus and method for making a plurality of substrates laminated on one or two sides with scissor-cut sheets of laminate.
Briefly, the present invention provides a method for making a membrane electrode assembly comprising the steps of providing a web of polymer electrolyte membrane material and a laminating station, where the web of polymer electrolyte membrane material is drawn between a pair of laminating rollers in the laminating station which form a laminating nip; die-cutting a first and second web of catalyst decal materials or electrode materials to make first and second workpieces at first and second rotary die stations; holding the die-cut workpieces by action of sub-ambient air pressure to an endless perforated belt of first and second vacuum conveyors, typically before they are fully cut from the first and second webs; transporting first and second workpieces to opposing sides of the membrane in the laminating station; concurrently feeding the first and second workpieces into the laminating nip adjacent to the membrane, typically before they are fully released by the first and second vacuum conveyors; and laminating the first and second workpieces to the membrane, advantageously in accurate registration.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate two views of an apparatus according to the present invention.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, an apparatus according to the present invention comprises a pair of rotary die stations 10, 20, a pair of angled vacuum conveyors 30, 40, and a lamination station 50. Angled vacuum conveyors 30, 40 may be the vacuum conveyors described in co-pending U.S. patent application ______, titled “Angled Product Transfer Conveyor,” filed on even date herewith. Each combination of die station and angled vacuum conveyor, 10 with 30 and 20 with 40, may comprise the apparatus for cutting and transporting sheet materials described in co-pending U.S. patent application ______, titled “Angled Product Transfer Conveyor,” filed on even date herewith. Lamination station 50 may comprise the gapping block and other lamination apparatus described in co-pending U.S. patent application ______, titled “Gap Adjuster for Laminating Rolls,” filed on even date herewith.
Any suitable rotary die station may be used. Each rotary die station 10, 20 comprises a rotary die 60, anvil roll 70 rotatably attached to a frame comprising frame elements 80. One or both of rotary die 60 and anvil roll 70 are driven. Rotary die 60 and anvil roll 70 are typically geared together by electronic or mechanical gearing. In the apparatus as depicted, anvil roll 70 is driven by servo motor 90 and mechanically geared to rotary die 60. Any suitable combination of rotary die 60 and anvil roll 70 may be employed. Rotary die 60 typically comprises a cutting edge or edges (not apparent in FIGS. 1 and 2) wrapped around the outer portion of a roller having a suitable depth for the material to be cut. Unlike simple chopping or scissoring apparatus, which can produce workpieces having a shape selected from the set of four-sided parallelograms, rotary die 60 can produce cut workpieces 100 of arbitrary shape, including curved portions such as rounded corners, from a continuous web (not shown). Typical die-cut shapes have rounded corners, due to the limitations of die machining, and are therefore not four-sided parallelograms. The continuous web and cut workpieces 100 may be of any suitable material to be laminated to membrane 110.
In one embodiment according to the present invention, useful in the manufacture of membrane electrode assemblies for fuel cells, workpieces 100 are catalyst decals comprising a liner layer and a co-extensive catalyst layer which comprises particulate catalyst metal. Such workpieces are cut from a continuous web of the liner layer coated with the catalyst layer on at least a portion passing under the cutting portion of rotary die 60. Any suitable liner may be used, including any suitably flexible polymeric sheet materials having a thickness of typically less than 1 millimeter, more typically less than 0.5 millimeter, and more typically less than 0.2 millimeter. The catalyst layer may be applied by any suitable method, including bar coating, spray coating, slit coating, brush coating, and the like. The catalyst layer typically has a thickness of less than 1 millimeter, more typically less than 0.5 millimeter, and more typically less than 0.2 millimeter. Any suitable catalyst composition may be used. Typical catalyst compositions fine particles of platinum, palladium, ruthenium and other catalyst metals, or combinations of catalyst metals, supported on carbon particles. The carbon-supported catalyst particles are typically 50-60% carbon and 40-50% catalyst metal by weight, the catalyst metal typically comprising Pt for the cathode and Pt and Ru in a weight ratio of 2:1 for the anode. Typical catalyst compositions may also include polymer electrolyte materials such as sulfonated fluoropolymers, including Nafion™ or Flemion™. After the catalyst decal is laminated the liner is typically removed.