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US 9,865,883 B2Granted
Fuel cell electrodes using high density support material
AssigneeNissan North America, Inc.
InventorsTaehee Han, Ellazar Niangar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of preparing fuel cell electrodes having catalyst with high density catalyst support are provided. One method of fabricating a fuel cell electrode comprises adjusting an active catalyst particle loading to increase catalyst layer thickness to within a desired range.
Claims11
A method of fabricating a fuel cell electrode catalyst layer comprising:
- selecting a desired catalytic activity;
- selecting a target mass of active catalyst material required to produce the desired catalytic activity based on a predetermined relationship between mass of active catalyst material and catalytic activity of the active catalyst material;
- selecting a target catalyst layer thickness between 5 μm to 15 μm;
- determining a volume of the catalyst layer required to achieve the target catalyst layer thickness, the catalyst layer including metal oxide support particles supporting the active catalyst material, the volume based on the target catalyst layer thickness and a surface area of a substrate to be coated with the catalyst layer;
- calculating a mass of the metal oxide support particles required to fill the volume using a density (mass/volume) of the metal oxide support particles;
- determining an active catalyst particle loading in weight percent on the metal oxide support particles based on the mass of metal oxide support particles required to fill the volume and the target mass of active catalyst material;
- measuring a mass of active catalyst material required to achieve the determined active catalyst particle loading;
- and
- preparing a catalyst using the mass of metal oxide support particles and the mass of active catalyst material.
6 more elements
A method of manufacturing a fuel cell comprising:
- preparing a catalyst ink comprising platinum as an active catalyst material supported on metal oxide support, the preparing comprising:
- selecting a desired catalytic activity;
- selecting a target mass of the platinum required to produce the desired catalytic activity based on a predetermined relationship between mass of platinum and catalytic activity of the platinum;
- selecting a target catalyst layer thickness between 5 μm to 15 μm;
- determining a volume of catalyst ink required to achieve the target catalyst ink layer thickness, the volume based on the target catalyst ink layer thickness and a surface area of a membrane to be coated with the catalyst ink;
- calculating a mass of the metal oxide support required to fill the volume using a density (mass/volume) of the metal oxide support;
- and
- determining a platinum loading in weight percent on the metal oxide support based on the mass of metal oxide support required to fill the volume and the target mass of platinum;
- measuring a mass of platinum required to achieve the determined active catalyst particle loading;
- and
- mixing the mass of metal oxide support and the mass of platinum to produce catalyst;
- and
- mixing the catalyst into a catalyst ink and coating the catalyst ink on the membrane.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.