Method for membrane electrode assembly fabrication and membrane electrode assembly
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsJunliang Zhang, Matthew Dioguardi, Frederick T. Wagner
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Abstract
A method of coating carbon based electrodes and thick electrodes without mud-cracking is described. The electrode ink is deposited on a decal substrate, and transferred to a hot press before the electrode ink is completely dried. The partially dried electrode ink is hot pressed to the membrane to form a membrane electrode assembly. A membrane electrode assembly including a polymer membrane; and a pair of crack-free electrode layers on opposite sides of the polymer membrane, each of the pair of electrode layers having a thickness of at least about 50 μm is also described.
Claims15
A method of fabricating a membrane electrode assembly comprising:
- depositing a layer of electrode ink on a decal substrate;
- placing the decal substrate on one side of a porous graphite plate;
- partially drying the electrode ink by applying a vacuum to one side of said porous graphite plate until no visible liquid remains on the surface to form an electrode layer that has a uniform thickness of at least about 120 microns thick without using extra additives;
- and
- hot pressing the partially dried electrode layer to a membrane to form the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) wherein said MEA is free of mudcracking.
A method of fabricating a membrane electrode assembly comprising:
- depositing a layer of electrode ink on a decal substrate, the electrode ink containing a non-noble metal catalyst;
- placing the decal substrate on one side of a porous graphite plate;
- partially drying the electrode ink by applying a vacuum to one side of said porous graphite plate until no visible liquid remains on the surface to form an electrode layer that has a uniform thickness of at least about 120 microns thick without using extra additives;
- applying a vacuum to the electrode ink;
- hot pressing the partially dried electrode layer to a membrane to form the membrane electrode assembly and wherein said membrane electrode assembly is free of cracks visible in each of said layers under transmitted light microscopy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.