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US 2006/0222921 A1Published application
Fluoride ion scavenger for fuel cell components
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsAndrew Mance, Belabbes Merzougui, Ion Halalay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fuel cell having a polymer electrolyte membrane containing fluorine atoms distributed along the polymer chains, and metal conductors and/or catalysts, is protected from fluoride ion degradation of the metal components by a fluoride ion sequestering agent fixed in the cell or flowing through the cell. In a preferred embodiment, the fluoride ion scavenger comprises a suitable number of azacrown moieties attached to polymer constituents in the electrolyte membrane or in electrodes.
Claims11
A fuel cell comprising:
- a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode where at least one of the polymer membrane, the anode, or the cathode comprise fluorine atoms susceptible to conversion to fluoride anions in operation of the cell;
- and
- a fluoride anion sequestering agent.
A fuel cell comprising:
- a polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between an anode and a cathode where at least one of the polymer membrane, the anode, or the cathode comprise fluorine atoms, and where chemical oxidizing species to are formed in operation of the cell that convert some of the fluorine atoms to fluoride anions;
- a sequestering agent for chemical oxidizing species;
- and
- a fluoride anion sequestering agent.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.