A method of making a catalyst layer of a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell includes the step of preparing a porous buckypaper layer comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of carbon nanofibers and carbon nanotubes. Platinum group metal nanoparticles are deposited in a liquid solution on an outer surface of the buckypaper to create a platinum group metal nanoparticle buckypaper. A proton conducting electrolyte is deposited on the platinum group metal nanoparticles by electrophoretic deposition to create a proton-conducting layer on the an outer surface of the platinum nanoparticles. An additional proton-conducting layer is deposited by contacting the platinum group metal nanoparticle buckypaper with a liquid proton-conducting composition in a solvent. The platinum group metal nanoparticle buckypaper is dried to remove the solvent. A membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell is also disclosed.

Process for deposition of a dense thin film comprising at least one material Px on a substrate, in which: (a) a colloidal suspension is procured containing nanoparticles of at least one material Px, (b) said substrate is immersed in said colloidal suspension, jointly with a counter electrode, (c) an electrical voltage is applied between said substrate and said counter electrode so as to obtain the electrophoretic deposition of a compact film comprising nanoparticles of said at least one material Px on said substrate, (d) said compact film is dried, (e) said film is mechanically consolidated, (f) thermal consolidation is carried out at a temperature T.sub.R that does not exceed 0.7 times (and preferably does not exceed 0.5 times) the melting or decomposition temperature (expressed in C.) of the material Px that melts at the lowest temperature, preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 600 C., and even more preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 400 C., knowing that steps (e) and (f) can be carried out simultaneously, or can be inverted.

Process for deposition of a dense thin film comprising at least one material Px on a substrate, in which: (a) a colloidal suspension is procured containing nanoparticles of at least one material Px, (b) said substrate is immersed in said colloidal suspension, jointly with a counter electrode, (c) an electrical voltage is applied between said substrate and said counter electrode so as to obtain the electrophoretic deposition of a compact film comprising nanoparticles of said at least one material Px on said substrate, (d) said compact film is dried, (e) said film is mechanically consolidated, (f) thermal consolidation is carried out at a temperature T.sub.R that does not exceed 0.7 times (and preferably does not exceed 0.5 times) the melting or decomposition temperature (expressed in C.) of the material Px that melts at the lowest temperature, preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 600 C., and even more preferably at a temperature of between 160 C. and 400 C., knowing that steps (e) and (f) can be carried out simultaneously, or can be inverted.

An electrocoating composition is provided herein. The electrocoating composition includes an aqueous carrier. The electrocoating composition further includes a film forming binder. The film forming binder includes an epoxy-amine adduct and a blocked polyisocyanate crosslinking agent. The electrocoating composition further includes an anti-crater agent selected from the group of a polyester resin dispersion, a polyacrylate resin dispersion, and a combination thereof. The electrocoating composition further includes a supplemental anti-crater agent including a polyether modified polysiloxane.

A method for forming an adhesion promoting layer and a corrosion resistant layer over the surfaces of a body-in-white (BIW) structure is provided. The method includes immersing the BIW structure in a pre-activating bath to pre-activate the surfaces of the BIW structure. The surfaces of the BIW structure comprise at least an aluminum alloy surface, at least a surface comprising ferrous metal, zinc, or TiZr, and the surfaces are substantially free of magnesium alloys. An adhesion promoting layer comprising cerium and a corrosion resistant layer comprising polymers are subsequently deposited over the pre-activated surfaces of the BIW structure by immersing the BIW structure in an aqueous bath comprising a source of cerium cations and a polymer precursor.

A method for forming an adhesion promoting layer and a corrosion resistant layer over the surfaces of a body-in-white (BIW) structure is provided. The method includes immersing the BIW structure in a pre-activating bath to pre-activate the surfaces of the BIW structure. The surfaces of the BIW structure comprise at least an aluminum alloy surface, at least a surface comprising ferrous metal, zinc, or TiZr, and the surfaces are substantially free of magnesium alloys. An adhesion promoting layer comprising cerium and a corrosion resistant layer comprising polymers are subsequently deposited over the pre-activated surfaces of the BIW structure by immersing the BIW structure in an aqueous bath comprising a source of cerium cations and a polymer precursor.

A hydrogel is formed by a reaction which is induced, in an electrolytic solution, by an electrode product electrochemically generated by electrodes installed in the electrolytic solution. An apparatus including an electrolytic tank with a bottom surface on which a two-dimensional array of working electrodes is provided and a counter electrode installed in the electrolytic tank is prepared. An electrolytic solution containing a dissolved substance that causes electrolytic deposition of a hydrogel is housed in the electrolytic tank. By applying a predetermined voltage to one or more selected working electrodes of the two-dimensional array, a hydrogel with a two-dimensional pattern corresponding to the arrangement of the selected working electrodes is formed.

An automotive member or oil filler pipe includes: a member of ferritic stainless steel containing, in mass %, at most 0.015% of C, at most 0.015% of N, 10.5 to 18.0% of Cr, 0.01 to 0.80% of Si, 0.01 to 0.80% of Mn, at most 0.050% of P, at most 0.010% of S, 0.010 to 0.100% of Al, more than 0.3 to 1.5% of Mo, and one or both of 0.03 to 0.30% of Ti and Nb; and a metal fitting of an aluminized stainless steel sheet, which is attached to the member to define therebetween a gap structure to be exposed to a chloride environment, and has an Al-plating weight per unit area ranging from 20 to 150 g/m.sup.2 in the gap structure. Surfaces of the metal fitting and member not facing the gap are coated with a cation electrodeposition coating film having a thickness of 5 to 35 m.

An automotive member or oil filler pipe includes: a member of ferritic stainless steel containing, in mass %, at most 0.015% of C, at most 0.015% of N, 10.5 to 18.0% of Cr, 0.01 to 0.80% of Si, 0.01 to 0.80% of Mn, at most 0.050% of P, at most 0.010% of S, 0.010 to 0.100% of Al, more than 0.3 to 1.5% of Mo, and one or both of 0.03 to 0.30% of Ti and Nb; and a metal fitting of an aluminized stainless steel sheet, which is attached to the member to define therebetween a gap structure to be exposed to a chloride environment, and has an Al-plating weight per unit area ranging from 20 to 150 g/m.sup.2 in the gap structure. Surfaces of the metal fitting and member not facing the gap are coated with a cation electrodeposition coating film having a thickness of 5 to 35 m.

The invention provides a method of improving the corrosion resistance of a metal substrate. The method comprises: (a) electrophoretically depositing on the substrate a curable electrodepositable coating composition to form a coating over at least a portion of the substrate, and (b) heating the substrate to a temperature and for a time sufficient to cure the coating on the substrate. The electrodepositable coating composition comprises a resinous phase dispersed in an aqueous medium, the resinous phase comprising: (1) an ungelled active hydrogen-containing, cationic salt group-containing resin electrodepositable on a cathode; (2) an at least partially blocked polyisocyanate curing agent; and (3) a pigment component comprising an inorganic, platelike pigment having an average equivalent spherical diameter of at least 0.2 microns. The electrodepositable coating composition demonstrates a pigment-to-binder ratio of at least 0.5. The coating composition contains less than 8 percent by weight of a grind vehicle.