Disclosed are a polymer electrolyte membrane for fuel cells which has improved handling properties and mechanical strength by employing symmetric-type laminated composite films and a method for manufacturing the same.

Disclosed are a method of heat treating a membrane electrode assembly, in which a first membrane electrode assembly or the like is positioned between a first member and a second member and heat treatment is performed as at least one of the first member and the second member being a heating member, and also in which variation in the temperature of the membrane electrode assembly at different roll positions is decreased and interfacial bonding between the layers in the membrane electrode assembly is enhanced. Thus, the quality of the membrane electrode assembly, such as the durability and performance thereof, may be improved, the yield thereof may be increased, and the amount of heat treatment may be efficiently increased, thereby reducing costs through mass heat treatment and decreasing the rate of processing of the membrane electrode assembly.

An electrode material (1) for a fuel cell (50), comprising a planar body (11) made of an electrically conductive foam having an open and continuous porosity for at least one operating medium of the fuel cell (50), wherein the planar body (11) has a top side (12) and a bottom side (13), and wherein the thickness (14) of the material across all points (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the top side (12), measured in each case between a point (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the top side (12) and the point (13a, 13a′) opposite this point (12a, 12a′) on the surface of the bottom side (13), varies by at least 10%. An electrode (2) for a fuel cell (50), comprising a planar body (21) made of an electrically conductive foam having an open and continuous porosity for at least one operating medium of the fuel cell (50), wherein the planar body (21) has a top side (22) and a bottom side (23), and wherein the top side (22), and/or the bottom side (23), has regions (22a, 23a) in which the porosity of the planar body (11) is reduced by at least 10%. A fuel cell (50) comprising the electrode (2). A method for production.

A method of manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly including an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer-formed gas diffusion layer bonded to the electrolyte membrane, the method including: a liquid application step of applying, in the atmosphere, a liquid to only a surface of the catalyst layer before bonding; and a thermocompression bonding step of bonding, to the electrolyte membrane, the catalyst layer-formed gas diffusion layer to which the liquid is applied, by thermocompression bonding. Provided is a method of manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly including a polymer electrolyte membrane and a catalyst layer-formed gas diffusion layer bonded to the polymer electrolyte membrane, in which the manufacturing method can achieve both the relaxation of thermocompression bonding conditions and the improvement of adhesion between the catalyst layer-formed gas diffusion layer and the electrolyte membrane with high productivity.

A method of producing electrodes includes selecting a palladium alloy, annealing the palladium alloy at a first temperature above 350° C., cold working the palladium alloy into a desired electrode shape, and annealing the palladium alloy at a second temperatures and for a time sufficient to produce a grain size between about 5 microns and about 100 microns. The method further includes etching the palladium alloy, rinsing the palladium alloy with at least one of water and heavy water, and storing the palladium alloy in an inert environment.

A method for producing a membrane electrode comprises a thermal transfer printing step, a thermal combining step, a carbon paper attaching step and a hot-pressing step. The invention realizes the continuous automatic production of the membrane electrode and improves the production efficiency and the quality of the membrane electrode.

A method and a device for producing bipolar plates for fuel cells. A bipolar plate is formed by joining an anode plate to a cathode plate, wherein the anode plate and the cathode plate are formed by forming a substrate plate. In order to provide a cost-effective and automated method, it is proposed that a plate already provided with a reactive coating or catalyst coating, which is transported, automatically driven, via a transport device from the forming device to the joining device, is used as substrate plate.

Disclosed is a method of manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell using a calendering process. The method includes preparing a stack including an anode support layer (ASL) and an anode functional layer (AFL), calendering the stack to obtain an anode, stacking an electrolyte layer on the anode to obtain an assembly, calendering the assembly to obtain an electrolyte substrate, sintering the electrolyte substrate, and forming a cathode on the electrolyte layer of the electrolyte substrate.

The present invention relates to a membrane electrode unit comprising a polymer membrane doped with a mineral acid as well as two electrodes, characterized in that the polymer membrane comprises at least one polymer with at least one nitrogen atom and at least one electrode comprises a catalyst which is formed from at least one precious metal and at least one metal less precious according to the electrochemical series.

Provided are an electrode catalyst layer, a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, having sufficient drainage property and gas diffusibility with high power generation performance over a long term. An electrode catalyst layer (10) bonded to a surface of a polymer electrolyte membrane (11) includes at least a catalyst substance (12), a conductive carrier (13), a polymer electrolyte (14) and fibrous substances (15). The number of the fibrous substances (15) in which inclination θ of axes with respect to a surface of the electrode catalyst layer (10) bonded to the surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane (11) is 0°≤θ<45°, among the fibrous substances (15), is greater than 50% of the total number of the fibrous substances (15) contained.