# US 7,745,061 B2 · Electrolyte membrane for fuel cell having hollow inorganic fine particles

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,745,061 B2
- Document ID: US7745061B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/265,828
- Filed: 2008-11-06
- Published: 2009-05-07
- Granted: 2010-06-29
- Earliest claimed: 2007-11-07
- Assignees: National University Corporation Shizuoka University; Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Tatsuo Fujinami; Takuya Mase; Masayoshi Takami
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7745061B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/1037: having silicon, e.g. sulfonated crosslinked polydimethylsiloxanes
- H01M 8/1023: having only carbon, e.g. polyarylenes, polystyrenes or polybutadiene-styrenes
- H01M 8/1027: having carbon, oxygen and other atoms, e.g. sulfonated polyethersulfones [S-PES]
- H01M 8/1039: halogenated, e.g. sulfonated polyvinylidene fluorides
- H01M 8/1051: Non-ion-conducting additives, e.g. stabilisers, SiO2 or ZrO2
- H01M 8/1067: characterised by their physical properties, e.g. porosity, ionic conductivity or thickness
- H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes}
- H01M 2300/0082: Organic polymers
- H01M 2300/0091: in the form of mixtures
- 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

An electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell includes: a proton conductive material in which hollow inorganic fine particles having through-holes on the surface of the hollow inorganic fine particles, are filled with an electrolyte resin; and a non-proton conductive polymer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, comprising:
a proton conductive material comprising hollow inorganic fine particles in the form of capsules having through-holes on the surface of the hollow inorganic fine particles, wherein the hollow inorganic fine particles are filled with an electrolyte resin and wherein each of the capsules has an internal cavity and an external shell with the through-holes penetrating said external shell and wherein the electrolyte resin is in the internal cavity and the through-holes; and
a non-proton conductive polymer.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a content of the proton conductive material is 30 to 90 parts by volume while a content of the non-proton conductive polymer is 70 to 10 parts by volume assuming that the total content of the proton conductive material and the non-proton conductive polymer is 100 parts by volume.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the content of the proton conductive material is 40 to 70 parts by volume while the content of the non-proton conductive polymer is 60 to 30 parts by volume.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 3, wherein the content of the proton conductive material is 40 to 60 parts by volume while the content of the non-proton conductive polymer is 60 to 40 parts by volume.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the electrolyte resin being located within the inorganic fine particles has a Si—O skeleton.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 5, wherein the electrolyte resin being located within the inorganic fine particles is a polymer in which a Si—O skeleton is formed by polymerization of a monomer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein the monomer is a hydrocarbonoxysilane compound.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 6, wherein the monomer is a silanol compound.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic fine particles are SiO2.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic fine particles are silsesquioxane.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the inorganic fine particles are zeolite.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the proton conductive material has an ion exchange capacity greater than the inorganic fine particles.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the ion exchange capacity of the proton conductive material is equal to or greater than 0.5 milliequivalent per gram.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein an average particle size of the proton conductive material is 0.05 to 10 μm.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the non-proton conductive polymer is a hydrocarbon-based polymer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the non-proton conductive polymer is a fluoropolymer.