A seal is mountable in contact with two metal carriers of an electrochemical device, in particular a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) or a high-temperature solid oxide electrolyser cell (SOEC) for electrolysis of water vapour. This seal comprises a means for making the seal impermeable, comprising at least one vitreous material; and an electrically insulating supporting means that supports the impermeable means and that has two parallel main faces, an external peripheral edge and an internal peripheral edge, the seal being able to be mounted against these carriers via these main faces, which are covered with the impermeable means. The impermeable means partitions the supporting means between these internal and external edges while extending continuously from one of the main faces to the other through the supporting means, so that the impermeable means directly connects these carriers to each other.

A seal is mountable in contact with two metal carriers of an electrochemical device, in particular a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) or a high-temperature solid oxide electrolyser cell (SOEC) for electrolysis of water vapour. This seal comprises a means for making the seal impermeable, comprising at least one vitreous material; and an electrically insulating supporting means that supports the impermeable means and that has two parallel main faces, an external peripheral edge and an internal peripheral edge, the seal being able to be mounted against these carriers via these main faces, which are covered with the impermeable means. The impermeable means partitions the supporting means between these internal and external edges while extending continuously from one of the main faces to the other through the supporting means, so that the impermeable means directly connects these carriers to each other.

A method to join electrochemical cell members comprising an inorganic material by laser. The method includes the steps of positioning the electrochemical cell members to each other, defining the constituents of the joining process, utilizing a laser system to generate a laser beam, focusing the laser beam spot on the electrochemical cell members, and establishing the joint by producing joint segments in a defined joining sequence. The joining method allows to produce gastight, high-temperature resistant connections between electrochemical cell members.

A bipolar plate seal assembly for a fuel cell is provided. The bipolar plate seal assembly includes: a bipolar plate having a flow field for a reactant medium on at least one of its main sides, and a supply area arranged adjacent to the flow field, in which supply ports for feeding and discharging the reactant medium and optionally for feeding and discharging a coolant are arranged; and at least one seal assembly having an electrically insulating layer covering at least one or more sections of the supply area of the bipolar plate and having recesses that correspond to the supply ports of the bipolar plate, and for each recess, a seal circumferential thereto.

A bipolar plate seal assembly for a fuel cell is provided. The bipolar plate seal assembly includes: a bipolar plate having a flow field for a reactant medium on at least one of its main sides, and a supply area arranged adjacent to the flow field, in which supply ports for feeding and discharging the reactant medium and optionally for feeding and discharging a coolant are arranged; and at least one seal assembly having an electrically insulating layer covering at least one or more sections of the supply area of the bipolar plate and having recesses that correspond to the supply ports of the bipolar plate, and for each recess, a seal circumferential thereto.

A cell seal for a fuel cell having a support portion and a seal portion. The seal portion includes a sealing material to prevent passage of a fluid. The support portion includes a porous material, for example a fabric, and is configured to impart a mechanical stability to the cell seal. The sealing material of the seal portion penetrates the porous material at least partially and thus connects the seal portion to the support portion. In one version, the support portion is also used to connect different sealing regions mechanically to one another. A fuel cell having such a cell seal, wherein the cell seal is between two bipolar plates, and a method for producing the cell seal, are disclosed.

A cell seal for a fuel cell having a support portion and a seal portion. The seal portion includes a sealing material to prevent passage of a fluid. The support portion includes a porous material, for example a fabric, and is configured to impart a mechanical stability to the cell seal. The sealing material of the seal portion penetrates the porous material at least partially and thus connects the seal portion to the support portion. In one version, the support portion is also used to connect different sealing regions mechanically to one another. A fuel cell having such a cell seal, wherein the cell seal is between two bipolar plates, and a method for producing the cell seal, are disclosed.

In an electrochemical device of an embodiment, a cell stack has a spacer disposed to be arranged next to an insulating sealing member in a direction orthogonal to a stack direction. A plurality of the spacers are arranged in the stack direction between a pair of end plates, and the spacer is interposed between a pair of separators adjacently arranged in the stack direction. The spacer is formed of a material whose thickness reduction ratio when an operation of the electrochemical device is executed is smaller than that of the insulating sealing member. Before the execution of the operation of the electrochemical device, the thickness of the spacer is thinner than the thickness of the insulating sealing member. Further, the thickness of the spacer keeps a state of being equal to or less than the thickness of the insulating sealing member when the operation of the electrochemical device is executed.

A gasket member for a solid polymer fuel cell, the gasket member including at least a laminate provided with a base material layer, and an adhesion layer positioned on both sides of the base material layer, wherein the laminate has a percentage retention of elongation at break of at least 60% after being left for 300 hours in 120? C. water.

A gasket member for a solid polymer fuel cell, the gasket member including at least a laminate provided with a base material layer, and an adhesion layer positioned on both sides of the base material layer, wherein the laminate has a percentage retention of elongation at break of at least 60% after being left for 300 hours in 120? C. water.