Gas diffusion electrode for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells
AssigneeHoescht Research & Technology Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG
InventorsArthur Koschany, Thomas Schwesinger, Christian Lucas, Georg Frank, Gregor Deckers, Thomas Soczka-Guth, Harald Bönsel
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Abstract
A particularly inexpensive, homogeneous and porous gas diffusion electrode which comprises at least one electrically conductive, hydrophobic and gas-permeable gas diffusion layer, comprising a mechanically stable support material which is impregnated with at least one electrically conductive material having a bulk conductivity of ≧10 mS/cm is produced. The gas diffusion electrode can be coated with a catalytically active layer. The electrodes of the invention are particularly suitable for use in fuel cells and electrolysis cells.
Claims26
A gas diffusion electrode comprising at least one electrically conductive, hydrophobic and gas-permeable gas diffusion layer, wherein the gas diffusion layer comprises a mechanically stable support material which is impregnated with at least one electrically conductive material having a bulk conductivity of ≧10 mS/cm2, the mechanically stable support material has a weight per unit area of <150 g/m2 and the gas diffusion electrode has an electrical surface resistance of ≦100 mΩ/cm2.
A process for producing a gas diffusion electrode comprising at least one electrically conductive, hydrophobic and gas-permeable gas diffusion layer, which process comprises the following steps:
- a) preparing a suspension comprising an electrically conductive material and at least one liquid,
- b) preparing one or more suspensions or solutions from a binder material and at least one liquid,
- c) intensively mixing the suspension prepared in step a) with at least one of the suspensions prepared in step b),
- d) impregnating a mechanically stable support material with the mixture prepared in step c),
- e) drying the impregnated support material,
- f) sintering the impregnated support material at a temperature of at least 200° C.,
- where the mechanically stable support material has a weight per unit area of <150 g/m2 and the gas diffusion electrode has an electrical surface resistance of ≦100 mΩ/cm2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.