Polymer electrolyte membrane, membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells and process for producing polymer electrolyte membrane
View Patent ↗A polymer electrolyte membrane comprises at least one layer of a perforated sheet having many through-holes formed substantially parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole ranging from 1×10 −3 to 20 mm 2 , wherein the numerical aperture based on the through-holes ranges from 30 to 80%, and the through-holes are filled with an ion exchange resin.
1. A polymer electrolyte membrane comprising at least one layer of a perforated sheet having many through-holes formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from about 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , wherein the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, and an ion exchange resin is filled in the through-holes.
2. A polymer electrolyte membrane comprising at least one layer of a perforated sheet comprising a region 1 wherein many through-holes are formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from about 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , and the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, and a region 2 which is a peripheral portion of the above region 1 and which has a lower numerical aperture than the above region 1 or has no through-holes, and wherein an ion exchange resin is filled in the through-holes.
3. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 1 , wherein on at least one side of the layer having the ion exchange resin filled in the above perforated sheet, a layer made solely of an ion exchange resin which may be the same or different from the above-mentioned ion exchange resin, is formed.
4. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated sheet is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylate, a polyether sulfone, a polyether ether ketone, a polyether imide, a polyether amide, a polypropylene or a polyethylene.
5. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the perforated sheet has a thickness of from 3 to 50 μm.
6. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the ion exchange resin filled in the through-holes is made of a perfluorocarbon polymer having sulfonic groups.
7. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 1 , wherein the through-holes are filled with the ion exchange resin and a reinforcing filler, wherein the reinforcing filler is a reinforcing filler of a short fiber form having a fiber diameter of from 0.01 to 20 μm, a fiber length of from 1 to 10 mm and an aspect ratio of at least 5.
8. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 3 , wherein the through-holes are filled with the ion exchange resin and a reinforcing filler, wherein the reinforcing filler is a reinforcing filler of a short fiber form having an average fiber diameter of from 0.01 to 20 μm, an average fiber length of from 1 to 10 mm and an aspect ratio of at least 5, and the layer made solely of an ion exchange resin contains no reinforcing filler.
9. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 2 , wherein on at least one side of the layer having the ion exchange resin filled in the above perforated sheet, a layer made solely of an ion exchange resin which may be the same or different from the above-mentioned ion exchange resin, is formed.
10. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the perforated sheet is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylate, a polyether sulfone, a polyether ether ketone, a polyether imide, a polyether amide, a polypropylene or a polyethylene.
11. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the perforated sheet has a thickness of from 3 to 50 μm.
12. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the ion exchange resin filled in the through-holes is made of a perfluorocarbon polymer having sulfonic groups.
13. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 2 , wherein the through-holes are filled with the ion exchange resin and a reinforcing filler, wherein the reinforcing filler is a reinforcing filler of a short fiber form having a fiber diameter of from 0.01 to 20 μm, a fiber length of from 1 to 10 mm and an aspect ratio of at least 5.
14. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 9 , wherein the perforated sheet is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylate, a polyether sulfone, a polyether ether ketone, a polyether imide, a polyether amide, a polypropylene or a polyethylene.
15. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 9 , wherein the perforated sheet has a thickness of from 3 to 50 μm.
16. The polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 9 , wherein the ion exchange resin filled in the through-holes is made of a perfluorocarbon polymer having sulfonic groups.
17. A membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which comprises a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer comprising a catalyst disposed on each side of the polymer electrolyte membrane, wherein the electrolyte membrane comprises at least one layer of a perforated sheet having many through-holes formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from about 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , wherein the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, and an ion exchange resin is filled in the through-holes.
18. A membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which comprises a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer comprising a catalyst disposed on each side of the polymer electrolyte membrane, wherein the electrolyte membrane comprises at least one layer of a perforated sheet comprising a region 1 wherein many through-holes are formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from about 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , and the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, and a region 2 which is a peripheral portion of the above region 1 and which has a lower numerical aperture than the above region 1 or has no through-holes, and wherein an ion exchange resin is filled in the through-holes.
19. The membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to claim 17 , wherein on at least one side of the layer having the ion exchange resin filled in the above perforated sheet, a layer made solely of an ion exchange resin which may be the same or different from the above-mentioned ion exchange resin, is formed.
20. The membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to claim 17 , wherein the perforated sheet is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylate, a polyether sulfone, a polyether ether ketone, a polyether imide, a polyether amide, a polypropylene or a polyethylene.
21. The membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to claim 17 , wherein the through-holes are filled with the ion exchange resin and a reinforcing filler, wherein the reinforcing filler is a reinforcing filler of a short fiber form having a fiber diameter of from 0.01 to 20 μm, a fiber length of from 1 to 10 mm and an aspect ratio of at least 5.
22. The membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to claim 18 , wherein on at least one side of the layer having the ion exchange resin filled in the above perforated sheet, a layer made solely of an ion exchange resin which may be the same or different from the above-mentioned ion exchange resin, is formed.
23. The membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to claim 18 , wherein the perforated sheet is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylate, a polyether sulfone, a polyether ether ketone, a polyether imide, a polyether amide, a polypropylene or a polyethylene.
24. The membrane-electrode assembly for polymer electrolyte fuel cells according to claim 18 , wherein the through-holes are filled with the ion exchange resin and a reinforcing filler, wherein the reinforcing filler is a reinforcing filler of a short fiber form having a fiber diameter of from 0.01 to 20 μm, a fiber length of from 1 to 10 mm and an aspect ratio of at least 5.
25. A process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane reinforced by a perforated sheet, comprising applying a coating fluid containing an ion exchange resin to a perforated sheet having many through-holes formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , wherein the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, to fill the through-holes with the ion exchange resin.
26. A process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane reinforced by a perforated sheet, comprising heat pressing a membrane made of an ion exchange resin to a perforated sheet having many through-holes formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , wherein the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, to inject and fill the ion exchange resin in the through-holes.
27. A process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane reinforced by a perforated sheet, comprising applying a coating liquid containing an ion exchange resin to a perforated sheet comprising a region 1 wherein many through-holes are formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , and the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, and a region 2 which is a peripheral portion of the region 1 and which has a lower numerical aperture than the region 1 or has no through-holes, to fill the through-holes with the ion exchange resin.
28. A process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane reinforced by a perforated sheet, comprising heat pressing a membrane made of an ion exchange resin to a perforated sheet comprising a region 1 wherein many through-holes are formed substantially in parallel to the thickness direction with an average cross-sectional area per hole of from 0.03 to 20 mm 2 , and the numerical aperture based on the through-holes is from 30 to 80%, and a region 2 which is a peripheral portion of the region 1 and which has a lower numerical aperture than the region 1 or has no through-holes, to inject and fill the ion exchange resin in the through-holes.
29. The process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 25 , wherein on at least one side of the layer having the ion exchange resin filled in the perforated sheet, a layer made solely of an ion exchange resin which may be the same or different from the above ion exchange resin, is formed.
30. The process for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane according to claim 25 , wherein the perforated sheet is made of a polytetrafluoroethylene, a tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoroalkoxyethylene copolymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyarylate, a polyether sulfone, a polyether ether ketone, a polyether imide, a polyether amide, a polypropylene or a polyethylene.