The present disclosure relates to an electrolyte membrane for fuel cells including a hydrogen peroxide generating catalyst and a hydrogen peroxide decomposing catalyst, the electrolyte membrane exhibiting highly improved durability, and a method of manufacturing the same. Specifically, the electrolyte membrane includes a support and a catalyst particle including a catalyst metal supported by the support, the catalyst metal including one selected from the group consisting of a first metal having catalyst activity to generate hydrogen peroxide, a second metal having catalyst activity to decompose hydrogen peroxide, and a combination thereof.

Disclosed are an electrolyte membrane which includes an antioxidant and thus has excellent durability and proton conductivity, and a fuel cell including the same. The antioxidant may include a core including an inorganic particle, and a shell covering at least a portion of a surface of the core and including an ionomer, and the ionomer may include a polymer and a proton conductive functional group bonded to the polymer.

Disclosed are an electrolyte membrane which includes an antioxidant and thus has excellent durability and proton conductivity, and a fuel cell including the same. The antioxidant may include a core including an inorganic particle, and a shell covering at least a portion of a surface of the core and including an ionomer, and the ionomer may include a polymer and a proton conductive functional group bonded to the polymer.

A composite fuel cell polymer electrolyte membrane. The composite membrane includes a polymer electrolyte membrane base material including first and second inorganic particles. The first and second inorganic particles are interspersed within the polymer electrolyte membrane base material and each other. The first and second inorganic particles have first and second surface properties and the first surface property is different than the second surface property.

A composite fuel cell polymer electrolyte membrane. The composite membrane includes a polymer electrolyte membrane base material including first and second inorganic particles. The first and second inorganic particles are interspersed within the polymer electrolyte membrane base material and each other. The first and second inorganic particles have first and second surface properties and the first surface property is different than the second surface property.

An anion exchange polymer includes aryl ether linkage free polyarylenes having aromatic/polyaromatic rings in polymer backbone and a tethered alkyl quaternary ammonium hydroxide side groups. This anion exchange polymer may be utilized in an anion exchange process and may be made into a thin anion transfer membrane. An ion transfer membrane may be mechanically reinforced having one or more layers of functional polymer based on a terphenyl backbone with quaternary ammonium functional groups and an inert porous scaffold material for reinforcement. An anion exchange membrane may have multilayers of anion exchange polymers which each containing varying types of backbones, varying degrees of functionalization, or varying functional groups to reduce ammonia crossover through the membrane.

An anion exchange polymer includes aryl ether linkage free polyarylenes having aromatic/polyaromatic rings in polymer backbone and a tethered alkyl quaternary ammonium hydroxide side groups. This anion exchange polymer may be utilized in an anion exchange process and may be made into a thin anion transfer membrane. An ion transfer membrane may be mechanically reinforced having one or more layers of functional polymer based on a terphenyl backbone with quaternary ammonium functional groups and an inert porous scaffold material for reinforcement. An anion exchange membrane may have multilayers of anion exchange polymers which each containing varying types of backbones, varying degrees of functionalization, or varying functional groups to reduce ammonia crossover through the membrane.

Disclosed are a highly durable electrolyte membrane having improved ion conductivity and a method of producing the same. The electrolyte membrane may include an ionomer having hydrogen ion conductivity and a complex dispersed in the ionomer. The complex may include: a support; a primary antioxidant loaded on the support and having radical scavenging ability; and a secondary antioxidant loaded on the support and having peroxide decomposition activity.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.

A method for producing a microporous material comprising the steps of: providing an ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE); providing a filler; providing a processing plasticizer; adding the filler to the UHMWPE in a mixture being in the range of from about 1:9 to about 15:1 filler to UHMWPE by weight; adding the processing plasticizer to the mixture; extruding the mixture to form a sheet from the mixture; calendering the sheet; extracting the processing plasticizer from the sheet to produce a matrix comprising UHMWPE and the filler distributed throughout the matrix; stretching the microporous material in at least one direction to a stretch ratio of at least about 1.5 to produce a stretched microporous matrix; and subsequently calendering the stretched microporous matrix to produce a microporous material which exhibits improved physical and dimensional stability properties over the stretched microporous matrix.