# US 2010/0167160 A1 · Method For Producing Polymer Electrolyte Membrane For Solid Polymer Fuel Cell, Membrane Eelctrode Assembly For Solid Polymer Fuel Cell, and Solid Polymer Fuel Cell > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2010/0167160 A1 - Document ID: US20100167160A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 12/594,961 - Filed: 2008-02-26 - Published: 2010-07-01 - Earliest claimed: 2007-04-25 - Inventors: Tomoyuki Takane; Hiroshi Kato; Hiroyoshi Fujimoto; Masahiko Ishikawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100167160A1 ## CPC - H01M 4/926: {on carbon or graphite} - H01M 8/0289: Means for holding the electrolyte (solid polymer electrolytes H01M8/1018) - H01M 8/1039: halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides - H01M 8/1048: Ion-conducting additives, e.g. ion-conducting particles, heteropolyacids, metal phosphate or polybenzimidazole with phosphoric acid - H01M 8/1051: Non-ion-conducting additives, e.g. stabilisers, SiO2 or ZrO2 - H01M 8/1053: consisting of layers of polymers with at least one layer being ionically conductive - H01M 8/1067: characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness - H01M 4/921: {Alloys or mixtures with metallic elements} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## Abstract The durability of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell can be enhanced by inhibiting deterioration of a polymer electrolyte membrane of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell without impairing power generation performance. The production process of a polymer electrolyte membrane for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell of the present invention is characterized by preparing a solution or dispersion of an alkoxide of a transition element or a rare earth element having a catalytic ability that decomposes peroxides, and (1) preparing a solution of a polymer electrolyte, uniformly mixing the solution or dispersion of the alkoxide with the solution of the polymer electrolyte, and forming a polymer electrolyte membrane, in which the transition metal or the rare earth metal is uniformly dispersed, from the mixed solution, or (2) preparing a polymer electrolyte membrane for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, uniformly permeating the solution or dispersion of the alkoxide into the polymer electrolyte membrane, and forming a polymer electrolyte membrane in which the transition element or rare earth element is uniformly dispersed by hydrolyzing and condensing the alkoxide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A production process of a polymer electrolyte membrane for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising the steps of: preparing a solution or dispersion of an alkoxide of a transition element or a rare earth element having catalytic ability that decomposes peroxides, preparing a solution of a polymer electrolyte for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, uniformly mixing the solution or dispersion of the alkoxide with the solution of the polymer electrolyte, and hydrolyzing and condensing the alkoxide when forming a polymer electrolyte membrane in which the transition element or the rare earth element is uniformly dispersed from the mixed solution. ### Claim 2 A production process of a polymer electrolyte membrane for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising the steps of: preparing a solution or a dispersion of an alkoxide of a transition element or a rare earth element having catalytic ability that decomposes peroxides, preparing a polymer electrolyte membrane for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, uniformly permeating the solution or dispersion of the alkoxide in the polymer electrolyte membrane, and forming a polymer electrolyte membrane in which the transition element or the rare earth element is uniformly dispersed by hydrolyzing and condensing the alkoxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein the material of the polymer electrolyte membrane contains a fluorine-based polymer compound. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein the material of the polymer electrolyte membrane contains a combination of a fluorine-based polymer compound and a non-fluorine-based polymer compound. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein the material of the polymer electrolyte membrane contains a polymer compound having a sulfonic acid group. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein the transition element or the rare earth element is at least one type selected from the group consisting of cerium, manganese, tungsten, zirconium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, lanthanum, neodymium, nickel, cobalt, chromium, molybdenum and iron. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein the added amount of the alkoxide is within the range of 0.05 to 80% by weight based on the material of the polymer electrolyte membrane. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein an alkoxide of phosphorous or a phosphorous compound is further added to the solution or dispersion of the alkoxide. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, further comprising a step in which a laminated membrane having two or more layers is formed by combining a polymer electrolyte membrane not containing the transition element or the rare earth element. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, further comprising a step in which a laminated membrane having two or more layers is formed by combining a layer containing a catalyst able to oxidize hydrogen on the cathode side. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The production process according to claim 10, wherein the catalyst able to oxidize hydrogen is a metal-loaded carbon catalyst. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The production process according to claim 1, wherein the polymer electrolyte membrane contains catalyst particles for acting as an electrode layer of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A membrane electrode assembly for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising: a polymer electrolyte membrane for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, obtained according to the production process described in claim 1, and an electrolyte layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) A membrane electrode assembly for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising: the polymer electrolyte membrane for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell obtained according to the production process according to claim 12 as at least one of the electrode layers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell, comprising: the membrane electrode assembly according to claim 13.