The present invention provides an electrolyte membrane for a redox flow battery, comprising a perfluorocarbon polymer having an ion-exchange group, wherein the perfluorocarbon polymer has equivalent weight EW of the ion-exchange group of 600 g/eq or more and 2000 g/eq or less, a craze area ratio of the electrolyte membrane is 1.5% or less, and a relative dimension of the electrolyte membrane in at least one of a X direction and a Y direction is 80% or more and less than 100% in the following relative dimension by dipping in 2 M aqueous sulfuric acid solution.

Systems, devices, and methods that utilize a method of coating an interconnect for a SOEC or SOFC, the method including wet spraying a coating precursor powder onto an interconnect, and sintering the interconnect in an oxidizing ambient to form the coating.

A method is proposed by means of which a composite layer is producible in as simple and controlled a manner as possible, and by means of which composite layers with different predetermined properties can be produced with as little expenditure as possible, and thus economically. The method includes: providing a nanofiber material, comminuting the nanofiber material while forming nanorods, providing a liquid medium, which comprises an ionomer component and a dispersant, dispersing the nanorods in the liquid medium while forming a nanorod ionomer dispersion, and applying the nanorod ionomer dispersion to a surface region of a substrate while forming a composite layer. An electrochemical unit including the composite layer is provided. The composite layer is useful in a fuel cell (hydrogen fuel cell or direct alcohol fuel cell), in a redox flow cell, in an electrolytic cell, or in an ion exchanger, and useful for anion or proton conduction.

A method for production and processing of a framed proton-conducting membrane for a fuel cell, comprises: providing of the proton-conducting membrane and a frame comprising at least two media ports inserting the membrane into a recess of the frame, processing of at least one surface of the frame such that a first region exists with an increased force of adhesion for a joining by means of gluing, and at least one second region exists with a lesser force of adhesion than the increased force of adhesion.

A heat treatment apparatus for a fuel cell membrane-electrode assembly is provided. The heat treatment apparatus includes a hot press installed on upper and lower sides of feeding path to move in the vertical direction on a frame and which presses the electrode catalyst layers on upper and lower surfaces of the membrane-electrode assembly sheet. A plurality of gripper modules are installed at set intervals in a base member along a feeding direction of the membrane-electrode assembly sheet, and selectively grip both side edges of the membrane-electrode assembly sheet. A driving unit reciprocally moves the base member in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the membrane-electrode assembly sheet and in the feeding direction of the membrane-electrode assembly sheet.

A zipped ion-exchange membrane (Z-IEM) having at least one cation-exchange polyelectrolyte (CEP) crosslinked with at least one anion-exchange polyelectrolyte (AEP), wherein the CEP has a molar fraction of positive charges (x) so that: (i) when x=0.5, the Z-IEM is a completely neutralized ion-exchange membrane; (ii) when x>0.5, the Z-IEM is a cation-conducting ion-exchange membrane; (iii) when x<0.5, the Z-IEM is an anion-conducting ion-exchange membrane.

The above zipped ion-exchange membrane (Z-IEM): (i) is based on a polymeric matrix; (ii) is endowed with a high conductivity for ionic species such as either H.sub.3O.sup.+, OH.sup.− or halides such as F.sup.−, Cl.sup.−, Br.sup.−, and I.sup.−; and (iii) is able to block as much as possible the crossover of other ionic species, such as: cations such as V.sup.2+, V.sup.3+, VO.sup.2+, VO.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Fe.sup.3+, Cr.sup.2+, Cr.sup.3+, Ce.sup.3+, Ce.sup.4+, Ti.sup.3+, Ti.sup.4+, Mn.sup.2+, Mn.sup.3+, Zn.sup.2+, Pb.sup.2+, Np.sup.3+, Np.sup.4+, NpO.sub.2.sup.2+, NpO.sub.2.sup.+, Li.sup.+, Na.sup.+, K.sup.+, Rb.sup.+, Cs.sup.+, Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+; and anions such as F.sup.−, BF.sub.4.sup.−, Cl.sup.−, ClO.sup.−, ClO.sub.2.sup.−, ClO.sub.3.sup.−, ClO.sub.4.sup.−, Br.sup.−, Br.sub.3.sup.−, I.sup.−, I.sub.3.sup.−.

The present invention provides a scandia-stabilized zirconia powder for solid oxide fuel cells or a scandia-stabilized zirconia sintered body for solid oxide fuel cells, each having high crystal structure stability, low grain-boundary resistivity, and high ionic conductivity; and the production methods of these. The scandia-stabilized zirconia powder for solid oxide fuel cells comprises a compound represented by formula (1): (ZrO.sub.2).sub.1-x-a(Sc.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.x(Al.sub.2O.sub.3).sub.a. In formula (1), 0.09≤x≤0.11 and 0.002≤a<0.01 are satisfied. The scandia-stabilized zirconia powder has a rhombohedral phase crystal structure. The sintered body of the scandia-stabilized zirconia powder has a cubic phase crystal structure. The sintered body of the scandia-stabilized zirconia powder has a grain-boundary resistivity of 12 Ω.Math.cm or less at 550° C.

The polymer electrolyte membrane includes: a first ion conductive polymer layer; and a second ion conductive polymer layer disposed on at least one surface of the first ion conductive polymer layer, wherein the first ion conductive polymer layer comprises a first ion conductive polymer comprising a sulfonic acid group, wherein the second ion conductive polymer layer comprises a second ion conductive polymer comprising a carboxylic acid group, and wherein a thickness of the second ion conductive polymer layer is in a range of 1% to 80% of a thickness of the polymer electrolyte membrane. Further, disclosed are the method for preparing the same, the membrane-electrode assembly including the same, and the fuel cell including the same.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing an electrolyte membrane for fuel cells. The method includes preparing an electrolyte layer including one or more ion conductive polymers that form a proton movement channel, and permeating a gas from a first surface of the electrolyte layer to a second surface of the electrolyte layer.

To provide an electrolyte membrane that exhibits high proton conductivity even at low humidity, the electrolyte membrane includes a composite membrane including: a microporous polyolefin membrane that has an average pore diameter of 1 to 1000 nm and a porosity of 50 to 90% and that can be impregnated with a solvent having a surface free energy of 28 mJ/m.sup.2 or more, and an electrolyte containing a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer having an EW of 250 to 850 loaded into the pores of the microporous polyolefin membrane, wherein the membrane thickness of the composite membrane is 1 to 20 μm.