Systems for creating electrodes for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells include an XY stage having a heated vacuum table physically coupled to the XY stage. The vacuum table has a working face with a plurality of channels formed therein to communicate vacuum pressure from a port coupled to a vacuum source to the channels. A sheet of perforated heat-conductive material has staggered holes configured to evenly distribute the vacuum pressure from the channels through the perforated sheet. A heat-conductive wire mesh is placed over the perforated sheet, and has openings smaller than the staggered holes such that a membrane material placed on the wire mesh is not deformed by the vacuum pressure. A nanopipette or micropipette coupled to a pump is configured to deposit electrode ink onto an exposed surface of the membrane material as the controller device causes the XY stage to move the vacuum table to control deposition of the electrode ink onto the surface of the membrane material.

Herein disclosed is a method of treating a component of a fuel cell, which includes the step of exposing the component of the fuel cell to a source of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The component comprises a first material. The EMR has a wavelength ranging from 10 to 1500 nm and the EMR has a minimum energy density of 0.1 Joule/cm2. Preferably, the treatment process has one or more of the following effects: heating, drying, curing, sintering, annealing, sealing, alloying, evaporating, restructuring, foaming. In an embodiment, the substrate is a component in a fuel cell. Such component comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, a catalyst, a barrier layer, a interconnect, a reformer, or reformer catalyst. In an embodiment, the substrate is a layer in a fuel cell or a portion of a layer in a fuel cell or a combination of layers in a fuel cell or a combination of partial layers in a fuel cell.

Provided are a method for producing a liquid composition which is capable of eliminating clouding of a liquid with cerium (IV) hydroxide particles in a relatively short time, and methods for producing a polymer electrolyte membrane, a catalyst layer and a membrane/electrode assembly, each having excellent durability, in a relatively short time. A method for producing a liquid composition containing a fluoropolymer having sulfonic acid groups, trivalent cerium ions and water, which comprises (1) irradiating a solution containing at least one cerium compound selected from the group consisting of cerium carbonate, cerium hydroxide and cerium oxide, the fluoropolymer and the water, with light at least partially in a wavelength region from 300 to 400 nm so that the ultraviolet irradiance on the surface of the solution is at least 0.1 mW/cm.sup.2 or (2) adding a reducing agent to a solution containing at least one cerium compound selected from the group consisting of cerium carbonate, cerium hydroxide and cerium oxide, the fluoropolymer and the water.

This anode catalyst layer for a fuel cell contains electrode catalyst particles, a carbon carrier on which the electrode catalyst particles are loaded, water electrolysis catalyst particles, a proton-conducting binder, and graphitized carbon. The graphitized carbon has a bulk density of 0.50/cm.sup.3 or less.

A method for producing a catalyst-coated membrane includes: producing and/or providing at least one first ink with a first ink composition, comprising supported catalyst particles, a proton-conductive ionomer, and a dispersing agent, the content of the supported catalyst particles in the composition remaining below the content of the proton-conductive ionomer; unwinding a web-shaped proton-conductive membrane material which is provided on a roll; applying at least one layer of the first ink onto at least one section of the membrane material using a first application tool; and sputtering a catalyst powder consisting of or comprising catalyst particles onto a surface of the outermost ink layer facing away from the membrane material using a sputtering device.

The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell in which a transfer failure is suppressed. The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly for a fuel cell, which comprises intermittently applying a catalyst ink on a substrate sheet and drying the catalyst ink to form a catalyst layer on the substrate sheet, and transferring the catalyst layer from the substrate sheet onto an electrolyte membrane. The catalyst ink contains catalyst particles, an ionomer, an alcohol, and water, and a water content in the catalyst ink is 57% to 61% by weight of a total weight of the catalyst ink.

Disclosed are a manufacturing method of a membrane electrode assembly capable of increasing the interfacial adhesion between a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer, improving substance delivery and performance, and enhancing hydrogen permeation resistance or oxygen permeability; a membrane electrode assembly manufactured thereby; and a fuel cell comprising the membrane electrode assembly. The manufacturing method of the present invention comprises the steps of: adding a catalyst and a first ionomer to a solvent and dispersing the same, thereby producing a dispersed mixture; adding a second ionomer to the dispersed mixture, thereby producing a coating composition; and applying the coating composition directly onto at least one side of the polymer electrolyte membrane.

The present invention provides a catalysed ion-conducting membrane comprising an ion-conducting membrane, an electrocatalyst layer having two opposing faces, and a layer A comprising an ion-conducting material and a carbon containing material. Also provided are methods for preparing the catalysed ion-conducting membrane.

The present invention provides a method of preparing a catalyst material, said catalyst material comprising a support material and an electrocatalyst dispersed on the support material; said method comprising the steps: i) providing a support material; then ii) 10 depositing a silicon oxide precursor on the support material; then iii) carrying out a heat treatment step to convert the silicon oxide precursor to silicon oxide; then iv) depositing said electrocatalyst or a precursor of said electrocatalyst on the support material; then v) removal of at least some of the silicon oxide.

The present disclosure relates to a method for preparing a fuel cell catalyst electrode, the fuel cell catalyst electrode prepared therefrom, a membrane electrode assembly including the fuel cell catalyst electrode, and a fuel cell including the membrane electrode assembly.