A porous metal body including a skeleton having a three-dimensional mesh-like structure, the porous metal body having a plate-like overall shape. The skeleton has a hollow structure and includes a primary metal layer and at least one of a first microporous layer and a second microporous layer. The primary metal layer is composed of nickel or a nickel alloy. The first microporous layer contains nickel and chromium and is disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the primary metal layer. The second microporous layer contains nickel and chromium and is disposed on the inner peripheral surface of the primary metal layer, the inner peripheral surface facing the hollow space of the skeleton.

A fuel battery cell includes: a first separator, a first gas diffusion layer, a first catalyst layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane, a second catalyst layer, a second gas diffusion layer, and a second separator that are sequentially laminated along a laminating direction; a first gas flow path part that is provided between the first separator and the first gas diffusion layer; and a second gas flow path part that is provided between the first separator and the first gas diffusion layer and adjacent to the first gas flow path part in a direction intersecting the laminating direction, and has a flow path area larger than that of the first gas flow path part in a plan view seen along the laminating direction. The first gas diffusion layer includes a first low-elasticity part facing the first gas flow path part, and a first high-elasticity part facing the second gas flow path part and having a higher compressive modulus of elasticity than that of the first low-elasticity part in the laminating direction.

Improved catalyst layers for use in fuel cell membrane electrode assemblies, and methods for making such catalyst layers, are provided. Catalyst layers can comprise structured units of catalyst, catalyst support, and ionomer. The structured units can provide for more efficient electrical energy production and/or increased lifespan of fuel cells utilizing such membrane electrode assemblies. Catalyst layers can be directly deposited on exchange membranes, such as proton exchange membranes.

A manufacturing method of fuel cell and a fuel cell are provided. The manufacturing method of fuel cell includes a first slit formation process in which first slits are formed in a first electrode, an electrolyte membrane lamination process in which an electrolyte membrane is laminated on the first electrode, an IC formation process in which interconnector portions are formed on the electrolyte membrane, a second slit formation process in which second slits are formed in a second electrode, a second electrode lamination process in which the second electrode is laminated on the electrolyte membrane, and a side edge portion removal process in which side edge portions of the first electrode and the second electrode are removed to divide the first electrode into a plurality of parts via the first slits and to divide the second electrode into a plurality of parts via the second slits.

An innovative fuel cell system with membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) includes a polymer electrolyte membrane, a gas diffusion layer (GDL) made of porous metal foam, and a catalyst layer. A fuel cell has a metal foam layer that improves efficiency and lifetime of the conventional gas diffusion layer, which consists of both gas diffusion barrier (GDB) and microporous layer (MPL). This metal foam GDL enables consistent maintenance of the suitable structure and even distribution of pores during the operation. Due to the combination of mechanical and physical properties of metallic foam, the fuel cell is not deformed by external physical strain. Among many other processing methods of open-cell metal foams, ice-templating provides a cheap, easy processing route suitable for mass production. Furthermore, it provides well-aligned and long channel pores, which improve gas and water flow during the operation of the fuel cell.

An electrode material (1) for a fuel cell (50), comprising a planar body (11) made of an electrically conductive foam having an open and continuous porosity for at least one operating medium of the fuel cell (50), wherein the planar body (11) has a top side (12) and a bottom side (13), and wherein the thickness (14) of the material across all points (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the top side (12), measured in each case between a point (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the top side (12) and the point (13a, 13a′) opposite this point (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the bottom side (13), varies by at least 10%. An electrode (2) for a fuel cell (50), comprising a planar body (21) made of an electrically conductive foam having an open and continuous porosity for at least one operating medium of the fuel cell (50), wherein the planar body (21) has a top side (22) and a bottom side (23), and wherein the top side (22), and/or the bottom side (23), has regions (22a, 23a) in which the porosity of the planar body (11) is reduced by at least 10%. A fuel cell (50) comprising the electrode (2). A method for production.

A low-cost gas diffusion electrode is described that overcomes defects of conventional techniques, that achieves both dry-up resistance and flooding resistance, and that has satisfactory power generation performance, where the gas diffusion electrode includes a conductive porous substrate, and a microporous layer containing conductive fine particles and provided on at least one surface of the conductive porous substrate. The gas diffusion electrode has, based on the number of fine pores having an area of 0.25 μm.sup.2 or more that are observed in a cross section of the microporous layer in a thickness direction, a percentage of fine pores having a circularity of 0.5 or more of 50% or more and 100% or less.

A catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells that improves drainage or gas diffusion, reduces or prevents the occurrence of cracking in a catalyst layer, enhances catalyst utilization efficiency, exerts high output power and high energy conversion efficiency, and has high durability, and also provides a membrane-electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the catalyst layer. The catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells contains a catalyst, carbon particles, a polymer electrolyte, and a fibrous material. In the catalyst layer, the carbon particles carry the catalyst1. The catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells has voids. The percentage of frequencies of the voids having a cross-sectional area of 10,000 nm.sup.2 or more is 13% or more and 20% or less among the voids observed in a thickness-direction cross section of the catalyst layer for polymer electrolyte fuel cells perpendicular to the surface thereof.

The invention relates to a bipolar plate (30) for a fuel cell (10). The bipolar plate (30) has a first bipolar plate half (32) and a second bipolar plate half (34), and the bipolar plate (30) has at least one fluid channel (36) for carrying at least one fluid (F). The first bipolar plate half (32) has at least one bonded connection (40) to the second bipolar plate half (34), and the bipolar plate (30) comprises at least one sealing arrangement (50) which sealingly covers the at least one bonded connection (40). The invention also relates to a fuel cell and a method for sealingly covering a bonded connection of the first bipolar plate half (32) to the second bipolar plate half (34) of the bipolar plate (30).

A fuel cell assembly has a first gas diffusion layer on the cathode side, a second gas diffusion layer on the anode side, a membrane located between the first gas diffusion layer and the second gas diffusion layer, a first electrode located between the membrane and the first gas diffusion layer and a second electrode located between the membrane and the second gas diffusion layer, and a frame with a recess, held by means of an adhesive layer against the gas diffusion layers. One of the electrodes is arranged on one of the gas diffusion layers to form a gas diffusion electrode, while the other of the electrodes is arranged on the side of the membrane opposite the gas diffusion electrode to form a one-sided membrane electrode arrangement. The electrode-free side of the membrane is bound to the frame directly by the adhesive layer. A fuel cell device and a motor vehicle having a fuel cell device are also provided.