The present specification provides a polymer electrolyte membrane, a membrane electrode assembly including the polymer electrolyte membrane, and a fuel cell including the membrane electrode assembly.

A membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell has a segmented membrane including a porous support having a surface area, the surface area divided into a first portion and a second portion. An alkaline segment is formed from the first portion of the porous support imbibed with an alkaline ionomer. An acid segment is formed from the second portion of the porous support imbibed with an acid ionomer. The alkaline segment is sized to provide a humidification amount to a feed gas passing through the acid segment.

The present invention introduces ionic polymers featuring with a spiro structure, which enhances the solubility and gas permeability of the ionic polymer while maintaining excellent conductivity, mechanical properties, and dimensional stability. This is achieved by incorporating a spiro fragment with a large free volume into the polymer backbone. As a result, the gas permeability of the catalyst layer prepared from this ionic polymer is improved, making it suitable as a catalyst binder for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) or anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Furthermore, the electrochemical performance of the fuel cell is enhanced. Additionally, the proton exchange membrane and anion exchange membrane derived from this ionic polymer containing a spiro structure effectively improve the conductivity of both types of membranes by increasing the space volume due to the presence of the large free volume spiro fragment.

The present invention introduces ionic polymers featuring with a spiro structure, which enhances the solubility and gas permeability of the ionic polymer while maintaining excellent conductivity, mechanical properties, and dimensional stability. This is achieved by incorporating a spiro fragment with a large free volume into the polymer backbone. As a result, the gas permeability of the catalyst layer prepared from this ionic polymer is improved, making it suitable as a catalyst binder for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) or anion exchange membrane fuel cells (AEMFCs). Furthermore, the electrochemical performance of the fuel cell is enhanced. Additionally, the proton exchange membrane and anion exchange membrane derived from this ionic polymer containing a spiro structure effectively improve the conductivity of both types of membranes by increasing the space volume due to the presence of the large free volume spiro fragment.

A method for flattening the proton exchange membrane for the fuel cell and an apparatus therefor are used in flattening the proton exchange membrane which is soaked with phosphoric acid. The control precision of this method can be higher than the traditional adsorption method. The mechanical transfer of proton exchange membrane can be realized so that the processing efficiency of proton exchange membrane in the process of fuel cell membrane electrode assembly is greatly improved.

The present disclosure relates to a technology for synthesizing a poly(spirobisindane-aryl piperidinium) copolymer containing a spirobisindane group in a repeating unit with no aryl ether bond in a polymer backbone, and preparing an anion-exchange membrane therefrom. A novel poly(spirobisindane-aryl piperidinium) copolymer ionomer according to the present disclosure has excellent chemical stability and mechanical properties, high ionic conductivity, improved gas permeability, and reduced material transfer resistance. In addition, an anion-exchange membrane and a composite membrane prepared from the poly(spirobisindane-aryl piperidinium) copolymer ionomer have excellent chemical stability, mechanical properties, durability and water management ability and, thus, can be applied to membranes and binders for alkaline fuel cells, water electrolysis devices, carbon dioxide reduction, metal-air batteries, etc.

Anion exchange membranes may include a polymeric microporous substrate and a cross-linked anion exchange polymeric layer on the substrate. Anion exchange membranes may have a resistivity of less than about 1.5 Ohm-cm.sup.2 and an apparent permselectivity of at least about 95%. The anion exchange membranes may be produced by a unique, two step process.

This redox flow secondary battery has an electrolyte tank (6) containing: a positive electrode cell chamber (2) containing a positive electrode (1) comprising a carbon electrode; a negative electrode cell chamber (4) containing a negative electrode (3) comprising a carbon electrode; and an electrolyte membrane (5) as a barrier membrane that separates/isolates the positive electrode cell chamber (2) and the negative electrode cell chamber (4). The positive electrode cell chamber (2) contains a positive electrode electrolyte containing an active substance, the negative electrode cell chamber (4) contains a negative electrode electrolyte containing an active substance, and the redox flow secondary battery charges and discharges on the basis of the change in valency of the active substances in the electrolytes. The electrolyte membrane (5) contains an ion exchange resin composition that is primarily a polyelectrolyte polymer, and the electrolyte membrane (5) has a reinforcing material comprising a fluorine-based porous membrane.

This redox flow secondary battery has an electrolyte tank (6) containing: a positive electrode cell chamber (2) containing a positive electrode (1) comprising a carbon electrode; a negative electrode cell chamber (4) containing a negative electrode (3) comprising a carbon electrode; and an electrolyte membrane (5) as a barrier membrane that separates/isolates the positive electrode cell chamber (2) and the negative electrode cell chamber (4). The positive electrode cell chamber (2) contains a positive electrode electrolyte containing an active substance, the negative electrode cell chamber (4) contains a negative electrode electrolyte containing an active substance, and the redox flow secondary battery charges and discharges on the basis of the change in valency of the active substances in the electrolytes. The electrolyte membrane (5) contains an ion exchange resin composition that is primarily a polyelectrolyte polymer, and the electrolyte membrane (5) has a reinforcing material comprising a fluorine-based porous membrane.

Disclosed is a composite electrolyte membrane comprising a microporous polymer substrate and a sulfonated polymer electrolyte. The composite electrolyte membrane comprises: a first polymer electrolyte layer formed of a first non-fluorinated or partially-fluorinated sulfonated polymer electrolyte; a non-fluorinated or partially-fluorinated microporous polymer substrate stacked on the first polymer electrolyte layer, wherein pores of the microporous polymer substrate are impregnated with a second non-fluorinated or partially-fluorinated sulfonated polymer electrolyte, and the first polymer electrolyte and the second polymer electrolyte are entangled with each other on an interface thereof; and a third polymer electrolyte layer formed on the microporous polymer substrate impregnated with the second polymer electrolyte by a third non-fluorinated or partially-fluorinated sulfonated polymer electrolyte, wherein the second polymer electrolyte and the third polymer electrolyte are entangled with each other on an interface thereof. A method for manufacturing the composite electrolyte membrane, and a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) and a fuel cell comprising the composite electrolyte membrane are also disclosed.