Separation membrane for solid polymer fuel cell and separation membrane-catalyst electrode assembly
Disclosed is a membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cells, which is composed of a hydrocarbon anion-ex-change resin membrane wherein an anion-exchange group is covalently bonded to a hydrocarbon resin, and an adhesive layer formed on at least one side of the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane. The membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cells is characterized in that the adhesive layer is made of an anion-exchange resin having a Young's modulus of 1-1000 MPa.
1. A membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell used for preparing a membrane-electrode assembly, which comprises:
a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane wherein an anion-exchange group is covalently bonded to a hydrocarbon resin, and
an adhesive layer used for bonding a catalyst electrode layer formed on at least one side of the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane,
wherein the adhesive layer consist essentially of a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin, which hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin is made of a styrene-based anion-exchange resin in which a quaternary ammonium salt group is covalently bonded to a non-crosslinked styrene-based elastomer, and has a Young's modulus of 1 to 1,000 MPa, and
wherein the adhesive layer has a solubility of less than 1% by mass in water of 20° C. and has a thickness of 1 to 10 μm.
2. The membrane for direct liquid fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesive layer has a solubility of less than 1% by mass in methanol and ethanol of 20° C.
3. The membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the styrene-based elastomer is a polystyrene-polyalkylene-polystyrene triblock copolymer.
4. The membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane in which an anion-exchange group is covalently bonded to a hydrocarbon resin, comprises a porous membrane and a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin filled in the pores of the porous membrane.
5. The membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 1 , wherein an intermediate layer made of a cation-exchange resin is present between the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane and the adhesive layer.
6. A membrane-catalyst electrode assembly which is obtained by forming a catalyst electrode layer on at least one side of a membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell, said membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises,
a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane wherein an anion-exchange group is covalently bonded to a hydrocarbon resin, and
an adhesive layer used for bonding a catalyst electrode layer formed on at least one side of the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane,
wherein the adhesive layer consist essentially of a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin, which hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin is made of a styrene-based anion-exchange resin in which a quaternary ammonium salt group is covalently bonded to a non-crosslinked styrene-based elastomer, and has a Young'modulus of 1 to 1,000 MPa, and
wherein the adhesive layer has a solubility of less than 1% by mass in water of 20° C. and has a thickness of 1 to 10 μm.
7. The membrane-catalyst electrode assembly according to claim 6 , wherein in the membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell, an intermediate layer made of a cation-exchange resin is present between the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane and the adhesive layer.
8. A polymer electrolyte fuel cell which comprises a membrane-catalyst electrode assembly obtained by forming a catalyst electrode layer on at least one side of a membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell, said membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises,
a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane wherein an anion-exchange group is covalently bonded to a hydrocarbon resin, and
an adhesive layer used for bonding a catalyst electrode layer formed on at least one side of the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane,
wherein the adhesive layer consists essentially of a hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin, which hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin is made of a styrene-based anion-exchange resin in which a quaternary ammonium salt group is covalently bonded to a non-crosslinked styrene-based elastomer, and has a Young'modulus of 1to 1,000 MPa, and
wherein the adhesive layer has a solubility of less than 1% by mass in water of 20°C. and has a thickness of 1 to 10 μm.
9. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell according to claim 8 , wherein in the membrane for polymer electrolyte fuel cell, an intermediate layer made of a cation-exchange resin is present between the hydrocarbon anion-exchange resin membrane and the adhesive layer.