Membrane-seal assembly
Disclosed is a reinforced membrane-seal assembly, the reinforced membrane-seal assembly including: an inner region and a border region and wherein the inner region includes ion-conducting component and the border region includes seal component; wherein first and second planar porous reinforcing components each extend across the inner region into the border region and wherein the pores of each of the first and second planar porous reinforcing components in the inner region are impregnated with ion-conducting component and the pores of each of the first and second planar porous reinforcing components in the border region are impregnated with seal component is disclosed. Also disclosed is a catalyst-coated reinforced membrane-seal assembly, a reinforced membrane-seal electrode assembly and an electrochemical device including the reinforced membrane-seal assembly.
1. A reinforced membrane-seal assembly, the reinforced membrane seal assembly comprising an inner region and a border region and wherein the inner region comprises ion-conducting component and the border region comprises seal component, the seal component being non-ion-conducting;
wherein first and second planar reinforcing components each extend across the inner region into the border region and wherein pores of each of the first and second planar reinforcing components in the inner region are impregnated with ion-conducting component and the pores of each of the first and second planar reinforcing components in the border region are impregnated with seal component.
2. A reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein one or more additional planar porous reinforcing components extend across the inner region into the border region of the reinforced membrane-seal assembly.
3. A reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the ion-conducting component and/or seal component does not extend beyond the first or second planar reinforcing component in a through-plane direction.
4. A reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 2 , wherein the ion-conducting component and/or seal component extends beyond the first or second planar reinforcing such that there is a layer of ion-conducting component and/or seal component which is not impregnated into either the first or second planar reinforcing component.
5. A reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the ion-conducting component and/or seal component does not extend beyond the first or second planar reinforcing component in a through-plane direction.
6. A reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the ion-conducting component and/or seal component extends beyond the first or second planar reinforcing such that there is a layer of ion-conducting component and/or seal component which is not impregnated into either the first or second planar reinforcing component.
7. A reinforced membrane-seal electrode assembly comprising a reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 1 , and an electrode present on at least one face of the membrane-seal assembly.
8. A reinforced membrane-seal electrode assembly according to claim 7 , wherein a catalyst layer is present on both faces of the reinforced membrane-seal assembly.
9. A catalyst-coated reinforced membrane-seal assembly comprising a membrane-seal assembly according to claim 1 , and a catalyst layer present on at least one face of the membrane-seal assembly.
10. A catalyst-coated reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 9 , wherein a catalyst layer is present on both faces of the membrane-seal assembly.
11. An electrochemical device comprising a reinforced membrane-seal assembly according to claim 1 .
12. An electrochemical device according to claim 11 , wherein the electrochemical device is a fuel cell.