The present invention provides a separator formed by hydrolysis of a resin film. The resin film comprises a non-hydrolyzable organic polymer; and a hydrolyzable organic polymer being hydrolyzable by treatment with at least one of an acid aqueous solution, an alkaline aqueous solution and pure water, wherein the content of the hydrolyzable organic polymer ranges from 10 parts by weight to 70 parts by weight relative to 100 parts by weight of the resin film. The separator of the present invention has good ion conductivity and thus, is extremely suitable for use in various types of batteries.

An electrolyte membrane is described that has improved bondability with a catalyst layer and that achieves good power generation performance, without the electrolyte membrane undergoing a physical treatment and without any loss of surface modification effect, where the electrolyte membrane comprises a polymer electrolyte and a nonionic fluorochemical surfactant.

A polymer electrolyte membrane includes an ion-conducting polymeric electrolyte material and platelets, distributed through the polymeric electrolyte material. The platelets have an aspect ratio of length to thickness of at least 2:1. The platelets are aligned generally parallel to a length of the membrane. The platelets can be functionalized with free radical scavengers, or other moieties, to extend the lifetime of the membrane or of a membrane electrode assembly incorporating the membrane.

Method of preparing a proton exchange membrane (PEM) include mixing a precursor of a perfluorosulfonic acid polymer with a second material to form a precursor material in a reduced humidity zone; extruding the precursor material under reduced humidity to form a filament; 3D printing the PEM with the filament; converting the precursor of the perfluorosulfonic acid polymer to the perfluorosulfonic acid polymer within the PEM; and coating the PEM.

Functionalized polymeric binders for electrolyte and electrode compositions include a polymer having a polymer backbone and functional groups. In some embodiments, a polymer includes a non-polar polymer backbone and a functional group that is 0.1 to 5 wt % of the polymer. In some embodiments, a polymer includes a polar backbone and a functional group that is 0.1 to 50% weight percent of the polymer. Also described are composites for electrolyte separators and electrodes that include argyrodite ion conductors and polar polymers.

A method of making an alkaline membrane fuel cell assembly is disclosed. The method may include: depositing a first catalyst layer on a first gas diffusion layer to form a first gas diffusion electrode; depositing a second catalyst layer one a second gas diffusion layer to form a second gas diffusion electrode; depositing a thin membrane on at least one of: the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer; joining together the first and second gas diffusion electrodes to form the alkaline fuel cell assembly such that the thin membrane is located between the first and second catalyst layers; and sealing the first and second gas diffusion layers, the first and second catalyst layers and the thin membrane from all sides.

A method of making an alkaline membrane fuel cell assembly is disclosed. The method may include: depositing a first catalyst layer on a first gas diffusion layer to form a first gas diffusion electrode; depositing a second catalyst layer one a second gas diffusion layer to form a second gas diffusion electrode; depositing a thin membrane on at least one of: the first catalyst layer and the second catalyst layer; joining together the first and second gas diffusion electrodes to form the alkaline fuel cell assembly such that the thin membrane is located between the first and second catalyst layers; and sealing the first and second gas diffusion layers, the first and second catalyst layers and the thin membrane from all sides.

A membrane-electrode assembly, a method for manufacturing the membrane-electrode assembly, and a fuel cell including the membrane-electrode assembly are disclosed. The membrane-electrode assembly includes: an ion exchange membrane; catalyst layers disposed on both sides of the ion exchange membrane respectively; and a functional modification layer disposed between the ion exchange membrane and each of the catalyst layers. The membrane-electrode assembly has a low hydrogen permeability without a reduction of hydrogen ion conductivity, has excellent interfacial bonding properties between the catalyst layers and the ion exchange membrane, and has excellent performance and durability under high temperature/low humidity conditions.

The invention relates to a separator for non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices that has been coated with a polymer binder composition having polymer particles of two different sizes, one fraction of the polymer particles with a weight average particle size of less than 1.5 micron, and the other fraction of the polymer particles with a weight average particle size of greater than 1.5 microns. The bi-modal polymer particles provide an uneven coating surface that creates voids between the separator and adjoining electrodes, allowing for expansion of the battery components during the charging and discharging cycle, with little or no increase in the size of the battery itself. The bi-modal polymer coating can be used in non-aqueous-type electrochemical devices, such as batteries and electric double layer capacitors.

An electrochemical cell includes a fuel source; an oxidation source; a positive electrode exposed to an electrolyte membrane; a negative electrode exposed to the electrolyte membrane; and the electrolyte membrane positioned between the positive and negative electrodes, the electrolyte membrane including an electron donor material and a shunt material having specific volume percentage of one or more carbon-containing semiconductors that become electronically conductive at a specific shunting onset potential below the cell's open circuit potential.