Method of manufacturing 5-layer MEA having improved electrical conductivity

A method of manufacturing a 5-layer MEA having an improved electrical conductivity, the method comprising:

• providing a 3-layer MEA having an electrolyte membrane and catalyst layers formed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane, wherein the 3-layer MEA is formed by steps comprising mixing a Nafion solution and a platinum catalyst in a solvent mixture to form a slurry, coating the formed slurry on a release paper, drying the slurry coated on the release paper, cutting the thus-coated electrode into a predetermined size and placing the cut electrode in contact with both sides of a membrane and then connected to one another by a hot press process;
• forming a micro-porous layer on a surface of a gas diffusion layer, wherein the micro-porous layer includes a Teflon as a binder;
• coating an electrical conductive layer on the micro-porous layer, wherein the electrical conductive layer is formed in a slurry by mixing a Nafion solution as a binder and carbon particles (carbon black) in isopropanol alcohol (IPA) and distilled water (DI water) and the electrical conductive layer including the Nafion as the binder and the micro-porous layer including the Teflon as the binder are first connected to each other;
• bringing the gas diffusion layer having the micro-porous layer coated with the electrical conductive layer into contact with each of the catalyst layers of the 3-layer MEA such that the electrical conductive layer is disposed between the catalyst layer of the 3-layer MEA and the micro-porous layer formed on the surface of the gas diffusion layer;
• and
• thermally compressing the contacted layers so as to connect each of the catalyst layers of the 3-layer MEA and the electrical conductive layer, wherein both the electrical conductive layer and the catalyst layer include the Nafion as the binders and are connected to each other as being thermally compressed.