IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,308,484
Granted Patent B2
US 12,308,484 · App. 17/466,766 · Granted May 20, 2025

Methods of manufacturing a gas diffusion layer and an electrochemical cell incorporating the same

Inventors: Arne Ballantine (Incline Village, NV); Chockkalingam Karuppaiah (Fremont, CA); William F. Smith (Windsor, CT)
Assignees: INFINITY FUEL CELL AND HYDROGEN, INC.; Ohmium International, Inc.
H01M8/0232B22F1/10B22F3/1021B22F2301/35B22F2998/10C22C38/02C22C38/40H01M2008/1095
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,308,484
App. No.
17/466,766
Granted
May 20, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An anode gas diffusion layer for a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer includes a porous stainless steel sheet formed by a powder metallurgical technique.

Claims (15)

1. A method of manufacturing an anode gas diffusion layer for a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer, comprising:

forming three powder layers in a die cavity consisting of a noble metal powder, a mixture of stainless steel powder and lubricant, and another layer of the noble metal powder;

compressing the three powder layers in the die cavity to form a green sheet;

de-binding the green sheet; and

sintering the green sheet to manufacture the anode gas diffusion layer for the PEM electrolyzer, wherein the anode gas diffusion layer includes a noble metal coating on a first side of the anode gas diffusion layer and on a second side of the anode gas diffusion layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stainless steel powder has a weight percentage of silicon that is less than 0.1%.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stainless steel powder has a weight percentage of silicon that is in a range from 1% to 10%.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of the stainless steel powder and the lubricant has a continuous gradient of the lubricant such that the anode gas diffusion layer has a corresponding continuous porosity gradient.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of the stainless steel powder and the lubricant has a stepwise distribution of the lubricant such that the anode gas diffusion layer has a corresponding stepwise distribution of porosity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anode gas diffusion layer comprises a porous stainless steel sheet, wherein the porous stainless steel sheet has a porosity that is in a range from approximately 40% to approximately 60%.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the porous stainless steel sheet has an average pore size of less than 5 microns.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the porous stainless steel sheet includes at least one of bulk or surface silicide phases.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is conducted in an inert atmosphere.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the inert atmosphere includes a partial pressure of oxygen of less than 0.1 atm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the anode gas diffusion layer has a bubble point pressure of at least 10 psi.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2021
From: BALLANTINE, ARNE; KARUPPAIAH, CHOCKKALINGAM
To: OHMIUM INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Reel/Frame 057642/0879 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 29, 2021
From: SMITH, WILLIAM F.
To: INFINITY FUEL CELL AND HYDROGEN, INC.
Reel/Frame 057643/0351 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63074866 · Sep 4, 2020
Related Publication 20220077475A1 · Mar 10, 2022
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Cited By (1)
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