A machining apparatus includes an apparatus body and a setting jig. The setting jig has a frame body including openings to expose molding regions, which are to be molded by the apparatus body, of the sheet material, and a restraining portion to restrain a periphery of the molding regions. The apparatus body includes a support member that supports the setting jig at a position where the molding regions are disposed between an upper die and a lower die, and a first urging member to urge the support member toward the upper die so as to separate the molded body from the lower die, with the upper die disengaged from the lower die.

Membrane electrode assembly for PEM fuel cells, including a proton exchange membrane, two catalyst layers (anode and cathode catalyst layer), and two gas diffusion layers, the anodic one of which is based on a carbon fiber paper and is provided with a microporous layer including graphite, carbon nanotubes or carbon nanofibers, and PTFE, whereas the cathodic gas diffusion layer is based on a carbon fiber structure and is provided with a microporous layer based on carbon black, carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers, and PTFE.

a fuel battery includes a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) in which a catalyst layer and a gas diffusion layer are stacked on each of opposite surfaces of a polymer electrolyte membrane; and separators between which the membrane-electrode assembly is interposed, wherein each of the separators includes a rib and a groove on a surface that is in contact with the gas diffusion layer, the rib and the groove forming a gas flow path through which a reaction gas to be used for power generation flows, when a thickness of the gas diffusion layer is defined as h, and a width of a portion of the rib that is in contact with the gas diffusion layer is defined as Rw, 0.29 Rw≤h≤0.55 Rw is satisfied, the gas diffusion layer includes conductive particles, conductive fibers, and a polymer resin, and average fiber length Fl and average fiber diameter Fd of the conductive fibers satisfy Fl<Rw/2 and Fd<h/100.

A gas diffusion layer includes: a conductive particle; and a fluororesin, and the fluororesin includes a first fiber having a first average fiber diameter and a second fiber having a second average fiber diameter different from the first average fiber diameter.

A solid oxide fuel cell including a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst and a method for forming the solid oxide fuel cell are provided. An exemplary solid oxide fuel cell includes a cell. The cell includes a filled metal substrate including holes substantially filled with a permeable material that includes a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst, wherein the filled metal substrate has a front facing a fuel flow and a back facing an electrochemical stack. A permeable layer is formed on the back of the filled metal substrate that is in contact with the permeable material of the filled holes. The cell includes an anode layer proximate to the permeable layer, an electrolyte layer proximate to the anode layer, a diffusion barrier proximate to the anode layer, and a cathode proximate to the diffusion barrier.

Provided is a gas diffusion layer, in which a microporous layer has an inner wall of through passages and a region adjacent to the through passages containing a greater amount of a water-repellent binder resin than a region not adjacent to the through passages, and thus water formed by an electrochemical reaction is effectively discharged from the gas diffusion layer. When the gas diffusion layer of the present invention is used, an optimal water management may be possible for smooth operation under all humidity conditions including a high humidity condition and a low humidity condition, and thus a fuel cell having improved cell performance may be obtained.

The invention relates to a gas diffusion layer (1) for a fuel cell (3), comprising a composite material (5) that contains electrically conducting particles (7), a binder and fibers (9), preferably carbon fibers, the particles (7) and the fibers (9) being present in the composite material (5) in the form of a mixture. The invention also relates to a fuel cell and to a method for producing the gas diffusion layer.

A method to produce a composite semi-finished product, having a continuous phase including at least one thermoplastic plastic and a dispersed phase made from at least one electrically conductive filler. The at least one thermoplastic plastic in form of fine particles is mixed with the at least one filler in the form of fine particles. In each case, at least 90% by weight of the particles of the at least one thermoplastic plastic and of the at least one filler are smaller than 1 mm. The mixture of the at least one thermoplastic plastic and the at least one filler is heated to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the at least one thermoplastic plastic. The heated material is cooled to a temperature below the solidification temperature of the at least one thermoplastic plastic.

A method to produce a composite semi-finished product, having a continuous phase including at least one thermoplastic plastic and a dispersed phase made from at least one electrically conductive filler. The at least one thermoplastic plastic in form of fine particles is mixed with the at least one filler in the form of fine particles. In each case, at least 90% by weight of the particles of the at least one thermoplastic plastic and of the at least one filler are smaller than 1 mm. The mixture of the at least one thermoplastic plastic and the at least one filler is heated to a temperature greater than the melting temperature of the at least one thermoplastic plastic. The heated material is cooled to a temperature below the solidification temperature of the at least one thermoplastic plastic.

A solid oxide fuel cell including a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst and a method for forming the solid oxide fuel cell are provided. An exemplary solid oxide fuel cell includes a cell. The cell includes a filled metal substrate including holes substantially filled with a permeable material that includes a hydrocarbon reforming catalyst, wherein the filled metal substrate has a front facing a fuel flow and a back facing an electrochemical stack. A permeable layer is formed on the back of the filled metal substrate that is in contact with the permeable material of the filled holes. The cell includes an anode layer proximate to the permeable layer, an electrolyte layer proximate to the anode layer, a diffusion barrier proximate to the anode layer, and a cathode proximate to the diffusion barrier.