System and a method for manufacturing an electrolyte using electrodeposition

1. A method of manufacturing an electrolyte comprising:

coupling a porous substrate to a charged electrode;

electrodepositing a polymeric electrolyte on said porous substrate including in pores of said porous substrate; and

coupling said electrolyte and porous substrate to an anode, a cathode and a catalyst.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a conductive porous substrate; and said polymeric electrolyte coats and completely insulates an outer surface of said conductive porous substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said conductive porous substrate comprises a porous stainless steel substrate.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said electrodepositing a polymeric electrolyte further comprises:

disposing said porous substrate and said charged electrode in a polymeric electrolyte solution containing charged polymeric electrolyte particles; and

generating an electric field in said polymeric electrolyte solution;

wherein said generated electric field accelerates charged polymeric electrolyte particles to said porous substrate.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said charged polymeric electrolyte particles further comprise perfluorosulfonate ionomer particles.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said perfluorosulfonate ionomer particles are deposited on said porous substrate by electrophoretic deposition.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said porous substrate comprises steel wool.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing deposited polymeric electrolyte from an outer surface of said porous substrate, while leaving said polymeric electrolyte in pores of said porous substrate.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said removal of deposited polymeric electrolyte comprises machining said deposited electrolyte with a blade.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said electrodepositing a polymeric electrolyte further comprises:

disposing said substrate and said charged electrode in a polymeric electrolyte solution containing charged polymeric electrolyte ions; and

generating an electric field in said polymeric electrolyte solution;

wherein said electric field accelerates charged polymeric electrolyte ions to said substrate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein said charged polymeric electrolyte ions further comprise perfluorosulfonate ionomer ions.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said perfluorosulfonate ionomer ions are deposited on said porous substrate by electrolytic deposition.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said perfluorosulfonate ionomer ions are deposited on an outer surface of said porous substrate.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said substrate comprises a non-conductive porous substrate.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said electrodepositing a polymeric electrolyte further comprises:

disposing said porous substrate and said charged electrode in a polymeric electrolyte solution containing charged polymeric electrolyte particles; and

generating an electric field in said polymeric electrolyte solution;

wherein said electric field accelerates charged polymeric electrolyte particles to said porous substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said charged polymeric electrolyte particles further comprise perfluorosulfonate ionomer particles.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said perfluorosulfonate ionomer particles are deposited on said porous substrate by electrophoretic deposition.

18. The method of claim 1 , in which said electrodepositing a polymeric electrolyte further comprises:

depositing charged polymeric electrolyte particles on a substrate by electrophoretic deposition;

subsequently, depositing additional charged polymeric electrolyte particles on said substrate by electrolytic deposition; and

treating a surface of said substrate by removing polymeric electrolyte particles between said depositing of charged polymeric electrolyte particles and said depositing of additional charged polymeric electrolyte particles.