# US 2009/0269643 A1 · Proton-conducting polymer composition and method for preparation thereof, catalyst ink containing said proton-conducting polymer composition and fuel cell including said catalyst ink > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2009/0269643 A1 - Document ID: US20090269643A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/718,672 - Filed: 2005-11-07 - Published: 2009-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2004-11-10 - Assignees: Toyo Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Masahiro Yamashita; Kota Kitamura; Yoshimitsu Sakaguchi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20090269643A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/1004: characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) - C08G 65/40: from phenols (I) and other compounds (II), e.g. OH-Ar-OH + X-Ar-X, where X is halogen atom, i.e. leaving group - C08G 65/4093: {characterised by the process or apparatus used} - C08L 101/12: characterised by physical features, e.g. anisotropy, viscosity or electrical conductivity (liquid crystal materials or compositions C09K19/00) - H01M 4/8605: {Porous electrodes} - H01M 4/8807: {Gas diffusion layers} - H01M 8/0289: Means for holding the electrolyte (solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018) - H01M 8/1023: having only carbon, e.g. polyarylenes, polystyrenes or polybutadiene-styrenes - H01M 4/8828: {Coating with slurry or ink} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A proton-conducting polymer composition which contains an aromatic hydrocarbon type of proton-conducting polymer in an amount of 1 to 30 mass %, wherein a component of said proton-conducting polymer having a molecular weight in the range of 2,000 to 230,000 in terms of polyethylene glycol accounts for 10 mass % or more of the total amount of said proton-conducting polymer; a method for preparing the proton-conducting polymer composition, a catalyst ink comprising the proton-conducting polymer composition and a fuel cell including the catalyst ink. The above proton-conducting polymer composition can well exploit the performance capability of a catalyst of a fuel cell, especially when it is allowed to be present with the electrode of a fuel cell. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A proton-conducting polymer composition at least containing an aromatic hydrocarbon-based proton-conducting polymer and a solvent, wherein the content of said proton-conducting polymer is in the range of 1 to 30 mass %, and a component of said proton-conducting polymer having a molecular weight in the range of 2000 to 23000 in terms of polyethylene glycol accounts for at least 10 mass % of the total amount of said proton-conducting polymer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, wherein the molecular weight distribution of said proton-conducting polymer has at least two maximal values, and at least one of said maximal values exhibits a molecular weight in the range of 2000 to 23000 in terms of polyethylene glycol while at least another one of the maximal values exhibits a molecular weight in the range greater than 23000 in terms of polyethylene glycol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 2, wherein the maximal value exhibiting the molecular weight in the range greater than 23000 in terms of polyethylene glycol in the molecular weight distribution of said proton-conducting polymer is in the range of the molecular weight of 50000 to 120000 in terms of polyethylene glycol. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, at least containing water in the range of 1 to 45 mass % and an organic solvent in the range of 50 to 98 mass % as said solvent. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, wherein absorption coefficient in a visible light absorption spectrum at 750 nm is in the range of 0 to 0.3 cm−1%−1. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, exhibiting structural viscosity. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, wherein said proton-conducting polymer is composed of a sulfonated polyarylene ether-based polymer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, wherein the content of sulfonic acid groups in said proton-conducting polymer is in the range of 0.3 to 3.5 meq/g. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method for preparing a proton-conducting polymer composition for obtaining the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1, at least having the step of adding a first solvent to said proton-conducting polymer and thereafter further adding a second solvent having a smaller solubility parameter than said first solvent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method for preparing a proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 9, wherein said first solvent is water, and said second solvent is an organic solvent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A catalyst ink having the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 1 and a catalyst. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A fuel cell into which an electrode-electrolyte membrane assembly formed by stacking electrodes prepared from the catalyst ink according to claim 11 and a polymer electrolyte membrane composed of said proton-conducting polymer are incorporated. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) A method for preparing a proton-conducting polymer composition for obtaining the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 2, at least having the step of adding a first solvent to said proton-conducting polymer and thereafter further adding a second solvent having a smaller solubility parameter than said first solvent. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) A method for preparing a proton-conducting polymer composition for obtaining the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 3, at least having the step of adding a first solvent to said proton-conducting polymer and thereafter further adding a second solvent having a smaller solubility parameter than said first solvent. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) A method for preparing a proton-conducting polymer composition for obtaining the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 4, at least having the step of adding a first solvent to said proton-conducting polymer and thereafter further adding a second solvent having a smaller solubility parameter than said first solvent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 8) A method for preparing a proton-conducting polymer composition for obtaining the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 8, at least having the step of adding a first solvent to said proton-conducting polymer and thereafter further adding a second solvent having a smaller solubility parameter than said first solvent. ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) A catalyst ink having the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 2 and a catalyst. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) A catalyst ink having the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 3 and a catalyst. ### Claim 19 (depends on 4) A catalyst ink having the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 4 and a catalyst. ### Claim 20 (depends on 8) A catalyst ink having the proton-conducting polymer composition according to claim 8 and a catalyst.