A membrane-electrode assembly, a method for manufacturing the membrane-electrode assembly, and a fuel cell including the membrane-electrode assembly are disclosed. The membrane-electrode assembly includes: an ion exchange membrane; catalyst layers disposed on both sides of the ion exchange membrane respectively; and a functional modification layer disposed between the ion exchange membrane and each of the catalyst layers. The membrane-electrode assembly has a low hydrogen permeability without a reduction of hydrogen ion conductivity, has excellent interfacial bonding properties between the catalyst layers and the ion exchange membrane, and has excellent performance and durability under high temperature/low humidity conditions.

Provided are a composite that can be suitably used as an electrolyte for polymer-based solid-state batteries and is excellent in oxidation resistance and flame retardancy, and various electrochemical devices using such a composite. The composite contains a fluorine-containing copolymer that comprises a tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) unit and a vinylidene fluoride (VdF) unit, and an alkali metal salt, wherein the total content of the TFE unit and the VdF unit in the fluorine-containing copolymer is 1 to 99 mol %, and the composite has a volatile content of 0.1 mass % or less with respect to the entire composite.

A method for bonding together two or more acid-doped polybenzimidazole films is provided. The method includes, in the following order: placing a first acid-doped polybenzimidazole film on a first substrate to form a first film/substrate assembly and placing a second acid-doped polybenzimidazole film on a second substrate to form a second film/substrate assembly; heating the first and second film/substrate assemblies to a temperature sufficient to soften the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films; positioning the second film/substrate assembly atop the first film/substrate assembly, such that polybenzimidazole polymer chains of the first acid-doped polybenzimidazole film interact with polybenzimidazole polymer chains of the second acid-doped polybenzimidazole film; and re-hydrolyzing the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films, such that the polybenzimidazole polymer chains of the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films are therefore reformed and interlocked with each other to bond together the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films.

A method for bonding together two or more acid-doped polybenzimidazole films is provided. The method includes, in the following order: placing a first acid-doped polybenzimidazole film on a first substrate to form a first film/substrate assembly and placing a second acid-doped polybenzimidazole film on a second substrate to form a second film/substrate assembly; heating the first and second film/substrate assemblies to a temperature sufficient to soften the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films; positioning the second film/substrate assembly atop the first film/substrate assembly, such that polybenzimidazole polymer chains of the first acid-doped polybenzimidazole film interact with polybenzimidazole polymer chains of the second acid-doped polybenzimidazole film; and re-hydrolyzing the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films, such that the polybenzimidazole polymer chains of the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films are therefore reformed and interlocked with each other to bond together the first and second acid-doped polybenzimidazole films.

The invention relates to a separator for non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices that has been coated with a polymer binder composition having polymer particles of two different sizes, one fraction of the polymer particles with a weight average particle size of less than 1.5 micron, and the other fraction of the polymer particles with a weight average particle size of greater than 1.5 microns. The bi-modal polymer particles provide an uneven coating surface that creates voids between the separator and adjoining electrodes, allowing for expansion of the battery components during the charging and discharging cycle, with little or no increase in the size of the battery itself. The bi-modal polymer coating can be used in non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices, such as batteries and electric double layer capacitors.

The invention relates to a separator for non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices that has been coated with a polymer binder composition having polymer particles of two different sizes, one fraction of the polymer particles with a weight average particle size of less than 1.5 micron, and the other fraction of the polymer particles with a weight average particle size of greater than 1.5 microns. The bi-modal polymer particles provide an uneven coating surface that creates voids between the separator and adjoining electrodes, allowing for expansion of the battery components during the charging and discharging cycle, with little or no increase in the size of the battery itself. The bi-modal polymer coating can be used in non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices, such as batteries and electric double layer capacitors.

In this disclosure, an ion-conducting membrane (10), a component (100) having the ion-conducting membrane (10) and a process for making the membrane (10) and the component (100) are disclosed. The ion-conducting membrane (10) includes a homogenous blend (12) and one or more additives (14). The selected one or more polymers are present in a mass-percentage in a range from 1% to 40. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) simultaneously increases the power and efficiency of the devices by combining advances in materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and manufacturing. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) overcomes limitations in the currently known technologies without compromising the advantageous properties. The present membrane (10) provides non-linear performance enhancement in electrochemical devices that leads to overall system level cost reduction.

In this disclosure, an ion-conducting membrane (10), a component (100) having the ion-conducting membrane (10) and a process for making the membrane (10) and the component (100) are disclosed. The ion-conducting membrane (10) includes a homogenous blend (12) and one or more additives (14). The selected one or more polymers are present in a mass-percentage in a range from 1% to 40. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) simultaneously increases the power and efficiency of the devices by combining advances in materials chemistry, nanotechnology, and manufacturing. The present ion-conducting membrane (10) overcomes limitations in the currently known technologies without compromising the advantageous properties. The present membrane (10) provides non-linear performance enhancement in electrochemical devices that leads to overall system level cost reduction.

Ion conductive organic-inorganic composite particles are particles that have an organic group on the surface of inorganic particles and have at least a configuration that does not allow the inorganic particles to contact with each other by steric hindrance of the organic group, the organic group containing an ion conductive group.

Ion conductive organic-inorganic composite particles are particles that have an organic group on the surface of inorganic particles and have at least a configuration that does not allow the inorganic particles to contact with each other by steric hindrance of the organic group, the organic group containing an ion conductive group.