Unitized fuel cell electrode gasket assembly

Abstract

A foam gasket (35) is adhered to an anode substrate (14) by sealant material, such as a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoset polymer or an elastomeric polymer, which is impregnated (31) to provide an edge seal to the anode substrate. In one embodiment, a foam gasket (36) is adhered to the cathode substrate (26) by the sealant material which is impregnated (32) to provide a gas edge seal to the cathode substrate. Each fuel cell is completed during the formation of a fuel cell stack by compressing the fuel flow field plates and oxidant flow field plates to the unitized electrode assembly with gaskets. In a second embodiment, the oxidant flow field plate (27) is adhered to the cathode substrate by the sealant material which is impregnated into the cathode substrate to provide a gas edge seal, and the fuel flow field plate (18) is adhered to the oxidant flow field plate (27) by means of the sealant material (53). The entire fuel cell with gasket (9a) is formed in a single hot lamination step (45b).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell in which the edge seals of the cathode and / or anode diffusion layers are joined to a gasket by means of the substrate-sealing thermoplastic film.[0002] As is known, a PEM fuel cell has catalyst layers on the cathode and anode side of the membrane, possibly with optional diffusion layers formed as a coating on the cathode and anode substrates, respectively, which are on the non-membrane sides of the cathode and anode catalysts. The substrates, also known as carbon papers, are highly porous, which may, for instance, have on the order of 70% porosity with pores on the order of 30 microns in diameter. In order to prevent the oxidant reactant gas (such as air) and the fuel reactant gas (such as a hydrogen containing gas) from escaping through the side edges (those edges not in communication with respective external manifolds) it has been known to provide edge seals to the anode and cathode substrates.[0003] In FI...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] Objects of the invention include: an improved PEM fuel cell substrate gas edge seal; a PEM fuel cell substrate gas edge seal which can be provided on a high speed production basis; a low cost and effective PEM fuel cell substrate gas edge seal; reducing the number of processing steps required to produce a PEM fuel cell; and a PEM fuel cell that will operate in excess of 10,000 hours without gas leakage.

[0009] According to the present invention, the thermoplastic film impregnated into the anode substrate and the cathode substrate so as to form respective gas edge seals is utilized in providing a gas edge seal between at least one substrate and a corresponding reactant gas flow field plate, which may comprise a water transport plate in some embodiments. In a first embodiment of the invention, the edge seal impregnated thermoplastic is used as the bond between each substrate and a corresponding closed cell foam gasket, the gasket sealing the joint between the respective reactant gas flow field plate and corresponding substrate when the fuel cell parts are compressed together in the process of forming a fuel cell stack. According to another embodiment of the invention, at least one reactant gas flow field plate is bonded directly to a corresponding substrate by means of the impregnated edge seal thermoplastic of the corresponding substrate. The invention not only provides adhesion which will last well in excess of 10,000 hours of operation, but it also reduces the number of steps required to form a fuel cell, and to form a fuel cell stack.

Problems solved by technology

It has been found that if an acrylic adhesive is used, the life of the fuel cell is limited to between 2,000 hours and 5,000 hours because of gas leakage due to the corrosion of the adhesive.

A problem with either adhesive is the extra steps required to produce a unitized electrode assembly 40 (including the catalyst coated membrane and the substrates (with or without diffusion layers), and the extra steps required to produce the flow field seals assembly.

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