A redox flow battery including an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly including a carbon block having pores and a flow frame having a first and a second surface, wherein the carbon block is accommodated on one or both of the first and second surfaces.

An improved or advanced electrically conductive selectively gas permeable anode flow field (SGPFF) design, allowing for efficient removal of CO.sub.2 perpendicular to the active area near the location where it is formed in the catalyst layer. The anode plate design includes two mating flow fields (an anode gaseous flow field, and an anode liquid flow field) separated by a semi-permeable separator. The separator comprises a hydrophobic semi-permeable separator for CO.sub.2 diffusive gas transport from the liquid side (with formic acid, water, and CO.sub.2) to the gaseous side (allowing for CO.sub.2 removal to the atmosphere).

Disclosed are a carbon substrate for a gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell, a gas diffusion layer employing the same, an electrode for a fuel cell, a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, and a fuel cell, wherein the carbon substrate includes a plate-shaped substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, and the plate-shaped substrate includes carbon fibers arranged to extend in one direction (extend unidirectionally) and a carbide of an organic polymer located between the carbon fibers to bind the carbon fibers to each other. Since the carbon substrate according to the present disclosure includes carbon fibers aligned in at least one direction selected from a machine direction (MD) and a cross-machine direction (CMD) by controlling the alignment of carbon fibers, the carbon substrate has excellent mechanical strength, particularly, bending strength, even if its thickness is thin, and thus it is possible to effectively prevent the intrusion phenomenon of the gas diffusion layer into the flow path of the metal separator, and has excellent gas flow characteristics.

Disclosed are a carbon substrate for a gas diffusion layer of a fuel cell, a gas diffusion layer employing the same, an electrode for a fuel cell, a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, and a fuel cell, wherein the carbon substrate includes a plate-shaped substrate having an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface, and the plate-shaped substrate includes carbon fibers arranged to extend in one direction (extend unidirectionally) and a carbide of an organic polymer located between the carbon fibers to bind the carbon fibers to each other. Since the carbon substrate according to the present disclosure includes carbon fibers aligned in at least one direction selected from a machine direction (MD) and a cross-machine direction (CMD) by controlling the alignment of carbon fibers, the carbon substrate has excellent mechanical strength, particularly, bending strength, even if its thickness is thin, and thus it is possible to effectively prevent the intrusion phenomenon of the gas diffusion layer into the flow path of the metal separator, and has excellent gas flow characteristics.

Provided is a carbon foam and a membrane electrode assembly having linear portions and node portions joining the linear portions; and a carbon foam and a membrane electrode assembly having linear portions and node portions joining the linear portions, where the carbon content is 51 mass % or more, and the mean deviation of coefficient of friction by the Kawabata evaluation system method is 0.006 or less.

Provided is a carbon foam and a membrane electrode assembly having linear portions and node portions joining the linear portions; and a carbon foam and a membrane electrode assembly having linear portions and node portions joining the linear portions, where the carbon content is 51 mass % or more, and the mean deviation of coefficient of friction by the Kawabata evaluation system method is 0.006 or less.

The present invention is directed to novel membrane electrode assemblies, and devices and systems incorporating them. Representative membrane electrode assemblies comprise (a) a first, porous electrode; (b) a buffer layer optionally comprising an aqueous solution comprising a pH buffer; (c) a membrane; and (d) a second, porous electrode comprising a catalyst for the generation of oxygen (O2); wherein the membrane is interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the buffer layer is interposed between the membrane and the first electrode.

The present invention is directed to novel membrane electrode assemblies, and devices and systems incorporating them. Representative membrane electrode assemblies comprise (a) a first, porous electrode; (b) a buffer layer optionally comprising an aqueous solution comprising a pH buffer; (c) a membrane; and (d) a second, porous electrode comprising a catalyst for the generation of oxygen (O2); wherein the membrane is interposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the buffer layer is interposed between the membrane and the first electrode.

The present disclosure relates to a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell including a tungsten oxide-coated component, where the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell includes a unit cell constituted by a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), in which an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer are integrally combined, a gas diffusion layer, and a bipolar plate, and tungsten oxide is coated on a surface of at least one of the membrane-electrode assembly, the gas diffusion layer, or the bipolar plate, and a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present disclosure, catalyst and cell durability can be enhanced by reducing a carbon oxidation reaction through prevention of the occurrence of high voltage under SU/SD (start-up/shut-down) conditions, and the performance can be maintained due to the absence of current density reduction even under SU/SD conditions.

The present disclosure relates to a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell including a tungsten oxide-coated component, where the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell includes a unit cell constituted by a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), in which an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer are integrally combined, a gas diffusion layer, and a bipolar plate, and tungsten oxide is coated on a surface of at least one of the membrane-electrode assembly, the gas diffusion layer, or the bipolar plate, and a method for manufacturing the same. According to the present disclosure, catalyst and cell durability can be enhanced by reducing a carbon oxidation reaction through prevention of the occurrence of high voltage under SU/SD (start-up/shut-down) conditions, and the performance can be maintained due to the absence of current density reduction even under SU/SD conditions.