A sulfur-containing platinum-carbon catalyst, a preparation method thereof, and an application thereof are provided. The sulfur-containing platinum-carbon catalyst contains sulfur-containing conductive carbon black and a platinum metal loaded thereon. The total sulfur content in the sulfur-containing conductive carbon black is greater than or equal to the surface sulfur content, and the weight fraction of platinum is 20-70% by weight based on the total weight of the catalyst. The sulfur-containing platinum-carbon catalyst of the invention has a lower overpotential and a higher weight specific activity.

A sulfur-modified carbon material contains conductive carbon black and sulfur elements distributed therein. The total sulfur content in the sulfur-modified carbon material is equal to or more than 1.2 times, preferably equal to or more than 1.5 times, the surface sulfur content. A process for preparing the sulfur-modified carbon material includes an impregnation step to impregnate the conductive carbon black with a solution containing sulfur at 10-80 C. for 1-5 h, and a drying step.

The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a porous carbon structure that has a high micropore volume and can be self-contained; a manufacturing method therefor; a positive electrode material using the same; and a battery (particularly an air battery) using the same. The present invention is a porous carbon structure that is for a positive electrode for an air battery and has voids and a skeleton formed by incorporating carbon, the porous carbon structure satisfying all of the following conditions (a) to (d). (a) The t-plot external specific surface area is within the range of 300 m.sup.2/g to 1600 m.sup.2/g; (b) the total volume of micropores having a diameter of 1 nm to 200 nm is within the range of 1.2 cm.sup.3/g to 7.0 cm.sup.3/g; (c) the total volume of micropores having a diameter of 1 nm to 1000 nm is within the range of 2.3 cm3/g to 10.0 cm.sup.3/g; and (d) the overall porosity is within the range of 80% to 99%.

Supported catalysts having an atomic level single atom structure are provided such that substantially all the catalyst is available for catalytic function. Processes of forming a catalyst unto a porous catalyst support is also provided.

A membrane-electrode assembly producing apparatus and membrane-electrode assembly producing method are provided which can increase the bonding strength between a polymer electrolyte film and a catalyst layer and which can produce a high-quality membrane-electrode assembly without a formation of wrinkle through a hot roll technique. An apparatus includes pre-heating unit for pre-heating a catalyst-layer supporting base material 12 that supports the catalyst layer on a surface of a transfer base material, and the polymer electrolyte film 10, thermal pressure bonding unit for heating and pressing the catalyst-layer supporting base material 12 and the polymer electrolyte film 10 to form an integrated joined member 14, and peeling unit for peeling the transfer base material 16 from the joined member 14.

A metal-air battery includes: (1) a metal anode; (2) a cathode including a graphene membrane; and (3) an electrolyte disposed between the metal anode and the cathode, where the graphene membrane includes graphene in an amount of at least 80% by weight of the graphene membrane.

An electrode catalyst ink composition which includes metal oxide-based electrode catalyst particles, an electrolyte, and a mixed liquid medium, wherein the mixed liquid medium contains 40 to 85% by mass of water; 5 to 30% by mass of an aqueous solvent (A) that has an evaporation rate of 2.0 or lower when the evaporation rate of water at 25 C. is 1, and a solubility parameter (SP value) of not less than 9; and 10 to 30% by mass of a monoalcohol (B) that has an evaporation rate of higher than 2.0 when the evaporation rate of water at 25 C. is 1, and not more than 3 carbon atoms, provided that the total amount of the mixed liquid medium is 100% by mass.

A solid oxide fuel cell having a plurality of planar layered fuel cell units, an electrically conductive flow separator plate disposed between each of the fuel cell units, and a cathode contact material element disposed between each cathode electrode of the fuel cell units and each electrically conductive flow separator plate. The cathodes of the individual fuel cell units are modified such that the operating temperatures of the cathodes are matched with the temperatures they experience based upon their locations in the fuel cell stack. The modification involves adding to the cathode contact material and/or cathode at least one alloying agent which modifies the temperature of the cathode electrodes based upon the location of the cathode electrodes within the fuel cell stack. These alloying agents react with a component of the cathode electrode to form alloys.

System for control and optimization of a coated secondary battery electrode drying process includes a closed-loop process control module that is configured to process manufacturing data derived from a sheet production apparatus for coating a metal sheet with electrode material. The electrode production system includes: a continuous source of a sheet of metal substrate; a coater that is configured to apply electrode material to form a coated moving sheet; an oven that equipped with a heat source to remove solvent from the coat to form a dried coated moving sheet; means for determining the residual solvent content in the dried coated moving sheet and generating representative signals; and controller means for controlling the intensity of the heat source in response to the signals to maintain the residual solvent content at a desired level.

A catalyst electrode including a metal layer and a catalyst layer formed on the metal layer is provided. The catalyst layer includes silver and iridium. A membrane electrode assembly and a method for manufacturing a catalyst electrode are also provided.