An electrode catalyst layer for fuel cells capable of effectively preventing reduction of cell voltage in a high current density region. The electrode catalyst layer contains a catalyst-on-support composed of a support made of a conductive inorganic oxide having a catalyst supported thereon and a hydrophilic material. The hydrophilic material is an agglomerate including hydrophilic conductive particles. The content of the hydrophilic material in the catalyst layer is 2 mass % or higher and lower than 20 mass % relative to the sum of the support and the hydrophilic material. The ratio of the particle size d1 of the hydrophilic particles to the particle size D of the catalyst-on-support is 0.5 to 3.0. The ratio of the particle size d2 of the hydrophilic material to the thickness T of the catalyst layer is 0.1 to 1.2.

An apparatus is provided for conditioning at least one process gas which is supplied to at least one electrochemical converter, via at least one process gas supply. The process gas supply has a humidifying unit configured and arranged to introduce a humidifying agent into the process gas. Water in a supercritical state can be introduced as the humidifying agent.

An apparatus is provided for conditioning at least one process gas which is supplied to at least one electrochemical converter, via at least one process gas supply. The process gas supply has a humidifying unit configured and arranged to introduce a humidifying agent into the process gas. Water in a supercritical state can be introduced as the humidifying agent.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photocurable resin composition having a high curing degree after irradiation with light while maintaining cured material characteristics such as high extensibility and high strength. Provided is a photocurable resin composition including the following ingredients (A) to (C): ingredient (A): a polyisobutylene resin containing one or more (meth)acryloyl groups and a —[CH.sub.2C(CH.sub.3).sub.2]— unit; ingredient (B): ingredient (b1): an acrylate monomer having an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms, and ingredient (b2): an acrylate monomer having a linear or branched alkyl group having 11 to 30 carbon atoms; and ingredient (C): a photo-radical polymerization initiator.

An object of the present invention is to provide a photocurable resin composition having a high curing degree after irradiation with light while maintaining cured material characteristics such as high extensibility and high strength. Provided is a photocurable resin composition including the following ingredients (A) to (C): ingredient (A): a polyisobutylene resin containing one or more (meth)acryloyl groups and a —[CH.sub.2C(CH.sub.3).sub.2]— unit; ingredient (B): ingredient (b1): an acrylate monomer having an alicyclic hydrocarbon group having 5 to 25 carbon atoms, and ingredient (b2): an acrylate monomer having a linear or branched alkyl group having 11 to 30 carbon atoms; and ingredient (C): a photo-radical polymerization initiator.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in the manufacture of a membrane-catalyst assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer bonded to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a method that achieves both the relaxation of thermocompression bonding conditions and the improvement of adhesion between the catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane with high productivity. A main object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a membrane-catalyst assembly including an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer bonded to the electrolyte membrane, the method including a liquid application step of applying a liquid to a surface of the catalyst layer before bonding, and a thermocompression bonding step of bonding, to the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst layer to which the liquid is applied by thermocompression bonding.

An object of the present invention is to provide, in the manufacture of a membrane-catalyst assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer bonded to the polymer electrolyte membrane, a method that achieves both the relaxation of thermocompression bonding conditions and the improvement of adhesion between the catalyst layer and the electrolyte membrane with high productivity. A main object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a membrane-catalyst assembly including an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer bonded to the electrolyte membrane, the method including a liquid application step of applying a liquid to a surface of the catalyst layer before bonding, and a thermocompression bonding step of bonding, to the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst layer to which the liquid is applied by thermocompression bonding.

Disclosed are a mixed catalyst, a method for preparing same, a method for forming an electrode by using same, and a membrane-electrode assembly comprising same, the mixed catalyst having uniform physical features within a predetermined range, which are suitable for the manufacture of an electrode and membrane-electrode assembly having desired performance and durability. The mixed catalyst comprises: a first catalyst, which includes a first support and first catalyst metal particles distributed on the first support, and has a first BET surface area and a first total pore volume; and a second catalyst, which includes a second support and second catalyst metal particles distributed on the second support, and has a second BET surface area different from the first BET surface area and a second total pore volume different from the first total pore volume.

Disclosed are a mixed catalyst, a method for preparing same, a method for forming an electrode by using same, and a membrane-electrode assembly comprising same, the mixed catalyst having uniform physical features within a predetermined range, which are suitable for the manufacture of an electrode and membrane-electrode assembly having desired performance and durability. The mixed catalyst comprises: a first catalyst, which includes a first support and first catalyst metal particles distributed on the first support, and has a first BET surface area and a first total pore volume; and a second catalyst, which includes a second support and second catalyst metal particles distributed on the second support, and has a second BET surface area different from the first BET surface area and a second total pore volume different from the first total pore volume.

This disclosure relates to a hydrogen fuel cell stack with one or more hydrogen fuel cell (102) having in turn a proton exchange membrane (104), a hydrogen reaction layer (112) and an oxygen reaction layer (116) within a pair of bipolar plates (106). At least a bipolar plate (106) comprises a channel (108) inside for hydrogen inflow. Additionally, this disclosure relates to a method of upgrading a hydrogen fuel cell stack, said method comprising inserting a channel (108) for hydrogen inflow inside at least a bipolar plate (106).