A positive electrode for a metal-air battery, the positive electrode including: a first layer disposed on a surface of an electrolyte membrane or a separator and including a first carbon material, a first electrolyte, and a first binder having an affinity with the first electrolyte; and a second layer disposed on the first layer and including a second carbon material, a second electrolyte, and a second binder having an affinity with the second electrolyte, wherein the first carbon material is different from the second carbon material, the first carbon material has a Brunauer Emmett Teller specific surface area which is greater than a Brunauer Emmett Teller specific surface area of the second carbon material, and wherein an amount of the first binder may be about 1.5 times to about 3 times greater than an amount of the second binder.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a carbon sheet that is suitably employed in a gas-diffusion-electrode substrate that has excellent flooding resistance and with which it is possible to suppress internal peeling of the carbon sheet. In order to achieve the aforementioned purpose, the present invention has the following configuration. Specifically, provided is a porous carbon sheet containing carbon fibers and a binder, wherein, in a section between a surface on one side of the carbon sheet and a surface on the other side thereof, when layers obtained by dividing, under compression, the carbon sheet into six equal parts in the thickness direction are assumed to be layer 1, layer 2, layer 3, layer 4, layer 5, and layer 6, in order starting from the layer including the surface on the one side to the layer including the surface on the other side, the layer in which the packing ratio under compression is the greatest is layer 2, and the relationships of the packing ratios under compression among layer 2, layer 3, layer 4, layer 5, and layer 6 are such that layer 2 has the greatest packing ratio, and layer 3 has the second-greatest packing ratio.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte, and an anode electrode having a first region located adjacent to a fuel inlet and a second region located adjacent to a fuel outlet. The anode electrode includes a cermet having a nickel containing phase and a ceramic phase. The first region of the anode electrode contains a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second region of the anode electrode.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) includes a cathode electrode, a solid oxide electrolyte and an anode electrode containing a first portion having a cermet containing a nonzero volume percent of a nickel containing phase and a nonzero volume percent of a ceramic phase and a second portion having a cermet containing a nonzero volume percent of a nickel containing phase and a nonzero volume percent of a ceramic phase, such that the first portion is located between the electrolyte and the second portion. The SOFC is an electrolyte-supported SOFC and the first portion of the anode electrode contains a lower ratio of the nickel containing phase to the ceramic phase than the second portion of the anode electrode. The first portion of the anode electrode has a porosity of 5-30 volume percent and the second portion of the anode electrode has a porosity of 31-60 volume percent.

Electrochemical cells, such as those present within flow batteries, can include at least one electrode with one face being more hydrophilic than is the other. Such electrodes can lessen the incidence of parasitic reactions by directing convective electrolyte circulation toward a separator in the electrochemical cell. Flow batteries containing the electrochemical cells can include: a first half-cell containing a first electrode with a first face and a second face that are directionally opposite one another, a second half-cell containing a second electrode with a first face and a second face that are directionally opposite one another, and a separator disposed between the first half-cell and the second half-cell. The first face of both the first and second electrodes is disposed adjacent to the separator. The first face of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode is more hydrophilic than is the second face.

The present invention is a catalyst for a solid polymer fuel cell including: catalyst particles of platinum, cobalt and manganese; and a carbon powder carrier supporting the catalyst particles, wherein the component ratio (molar ratio) of the platinum, cobalt and manganese of the catalyst particles is of Pt:Co:Mn=1:0.06 to 0.39:0.04 to 0.33, and wherein in an X-ray diffraction analysis of the catalyst particles, the peak intensity ratio of a CoMn alloy appearing around 2=27 is 0.15 or less on the basis of a main peak appearing around 2=40. It is particularly preferred that the catalyst have a peak ratio of a peak of a CoPt.sub.3 alloy and an MnPt.sub.3 alloy appearing around 2=32 of 0.14 or more on the basis of a main peak.

The invention relates to an electrode for an electrochemical cell, wherein an electrode is flatly applied onto a surface of a solid oxide electrolyte, and a cathode is flatly applied onto the solid oxide electrolyte surface opposite the electrode. The base material of the electrode is a composite whose catalytically active metal component contains a nickel phase which is made of NiO as part of the electrode starting material by reducing the NiO in a hydrogen-containing atmosphere. The ceramic component is made with a doped cerium oxide and a spinel made of at least one transition metal selected from Ni, Mn, Fe, and Cr.

A co-extrusion die is configured to produce a multilayer extrusion comprising component layers of an electrochemical cell. The die comprises a plurality of inlet ports configured to receive a plurality of pressurized fluids comprising at least a first metallic ink, a second metallic ink, and a polymeric ink. A plurality of channels are configured to separately transport and shape the plurality of fluids from the plurality of inlet ports to a merge section, such that the plurality of fluids flow together in the merge section to form the multilayer extrusion comprising a polymeric membrane layer disposed between and in contact with a first metallic layer and a second metallic layer. A thickness of each layer within the merge section is controllable by adjustment of a pressure of the plurality of pressurized fluids. An outlet port is configured to output the multilayer extrusion onto a substrate.

A method and apparatus are described for forming a multilayer assembly. The method includes adhering first and second catalyst layers to opposed sides of a polymer membrane. At least one of the first catalyst layer, the second catalyst layer, and the polymer membrane is formed by filament extension atomization of a fluid material to form atomized droplets that are sprayed to form the respective membrane or layer.

A delivery device for and method of providing for delivery of substance to the central nervous system (CNS) of a subject, the delivery device comprising: a nosepiece unit (17) for insertion into a nasal airway (1) of a subject and comprising an outlet unit (21) which includes a nozzle (25) for delivering substance into the nasal airway of the subject; and a substance supply unit which is operable to deliver a dose of substance to the nozzle: wherein the delivery device is configured such that at least 30% of the dose as initially deposited in the nasal airway is deposited in an upper posterior region of the nasal airway, thereby providing a CNS concentration of the substance, and hence CNS effect, which is significantly greater than that which would be predicted from a counterpart blood plasma concentration of the substance.