In an manufacturing apparatus, a belt-shaped electrolyte polymer is conveyed in a state disposed to a back sheet. A first reinforcement membrane is conveyed in a state disposed to a back sheet, and, in a first sticking section, stuck with the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer. In a first thermocompression bonding section, the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer and the first reinforcement membrane are thermally compressed. At this time, a molten electrolyte polymer reaches between the first reinforcement membrane and the back sheet thereof, and the first adhesiveness between the first reinforcement membrane and the back sheet thereof becomes higher than the second adhesiveness between the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer and the back sheet thereof. A first peel section peels, in this state, the back sheet from the belt-shaped electrolyte polymer.

The solid alkaline fuel cell has a cathode that is supplied with an oxidant which contains oxygen, an anode that is supplied with a fuel which contains hydrogen atoms, and an inorganic solid electrolyte that is disposed between the anode and the cathode and that exhibits hydroxide ion conductivity. The inorganic solid electrolyte enables permeation of a fuel in an amount that produces carbon dioxide at the cathode of greater than or equal to 0.04 mol/s.Math.cm.sup.2 and less than or equal to 2.5 mol/s.Math.cm.sup.2 per unit surface area of a cathode-side surface.

A conductive nanoporous membrane system has a first ion exchange membrane formed from a nanoporous substrate that is coated with a metal or carbon or conductive polymers to form a conductive membrane, a second ion exchange membrane that is also formed from a nanoporous substrate coated with a metal to form a conductive membrane is positioned in spaced relation to the first conductive membrane and coupled to a voltage source; the negatively potential membrane acts as a cation exchange membrane in the presence of an electrolyte, and the positively connected electrode behave as anodic exchange membrane in the presence of an electrolyte due to the formation of electrical double layers at the interface between metal and liquid electrolyte.

A method for making a composite membrane includes the steps of coating a first layer of ionomer on an intermediate support, laminating a dry porous support into the wet first layer of ionomer, impregnating the porous support with ionomer from the coated ionomer layer, optionally drying the impregnated porous support and the first layer of ionomer, coating a second layer of ionomer on the impregnated porous support, drying the second layer of ionomer until most of the solvent is evaporated, and delaminating the composite membrane from the intermediate support. The composite membrane thus obtained includes a porous support impregnated with the ionomer and on each side of the impregnated support a dense ionomer layer.

A method for making a composite membrane includes the steps of coating a first layer of ionomer on an intermediate support, laminating a dry porous support into the wet first layer of ionomer, impregnating the porous support with ionomer from the coated ionomer layer, optionally drying the impregnated porous support and the first layer of ionomer, coating a second layer of ionomer on the impregnated porous support, drying the second layer of ionomer until most of the solvent is evaporated, and delaminating the composite membrane from the intermediate support. The composite membrane thus obtained includes a porous support impregnated with the ionomer and on each side of the impregnated support a dense ionomer layer.

A lithium ion flow battery comprising cathode current collectors (21), an anode current collector (22), a cathode reaction chamber (24), an anode reaction chamber (25), a separator (23), a cathode suspension solution (26) and an anode suspension solution (27), wherein the cathode and anode current collectors are located at both sides of the separator respectively and are in close contact with the separator to form sandwich composite structure layers of the cathode current collector, the separator and the anode current collector; and in that several sandwich composite structure layers are arranged in sequence in an order that current collectors with the same polarity are oppositely arranged, and the electrode suspension solution continuously or intermittently flows in a battery reaction chamber between adjacent sandwich composite structure layers. Thus, the size of the battery reaction chamber can be flexibly designed according to the viscosity of the electrode suspension solution without increasing the polarization internal resistance of the battery, thereby solving the restriction conflict existing in the existing lithium ion flow battery between the size of the battery reaction chamber and the polarization internal resistance of the battery.

A lithium ion flow battery comprising cathode current collectors (21), an anode current collector (22), a cathode reaction chamber (24), an anode reaction chamber (25), a separator (23), a cathode suspension solution (26) and an anode suspension solution (27), wherein the cathode and anode current collectors are located at both sides of the separator respectively and are in close contact with the separator to form sandwich composite structure layers of the cathode current collector, the separator and the anode current collector; and in that several sandwich composite structure layers are arranged in sequence in an order that current collectors with the same polarity are oppositely arranged, and the electrode suspension solution continuously or intermittently flows in a battery reaction chamber between adjacent sandwich composite structure layers. Thus, the size of the battery reaction chamber can be flexibly designed according to the viscosity of the electrode suspension solution without increasing the polarization internal resistance of the battery, thereby solving the restriction conflict existing in the existing lithium ion flow battery between the size of the battery reaction chamber and the polarization internal resistance of the battery.

In one aspect, a composite membrane comprises a polymeric host comprising polybenzimidazole or polybenzimidazole derivative and graphene oxide dispersed in the polymeric host, the graphene oxide at least partially functionalized with phosphonic acid moieties, phosphonate moieties or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the functionalized graphene oxide is homogeneously dispersed in the polymeric host and/or is not agglomerated in the polymeric host.

An illustrative example fuel cell component includes an electrode substrate including a plurality of pores. A first portion of the substrate includes a liquid electrolyte absorbing material in at least some of the pores in the first portion. Those pores respectively have a first unoccupied pore volume. Pores in a second portion of the substrate respectively have a second unoccupied pore volume. The first unoccupied pore volume is less than the second unoccupied pore volume.

An illustrative example fuel cell component includes an electrode substrate including a plurality of pores. A first portion of the substrate includes a liquid electrolyte absorbing material in at least some of the pores in the first portion. Those pores respectively have a first unoccupied pore volume. Pores in a second portion of the substrate respectively have a second unoccupied pore volume. The first unoccupied pore volume is less than the second unoccupied pore volume.