Support film, laminate substrate, coating device, and coating method

Abstract

To provide a technique that can prevent a polymer electrolyte from peeling off from a support film even when the polymer electrolyte with a large thickness swells.SOLUTION: A polymer electrolyte 91 with a thickness of 50 μm or more is supported by a support film 92. The support film 92 has a base film 921 and an adhesive layer 922. The adhesive layer 922 covers one side of the base film 921. The thickness of the base film 921 is between 50 μm and 300 μm. When the adherend is a PET film, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer, according to the test method of JISZ0237, is 0.05 N / cm or more.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a support film for supporting an electrolyte membrane, a laminated substrate having an electrolyte membrane and a support film, a coating device for coating a catalyst ink onto the surface of an electrolyte membrane, and a coating method for coating a catalyst ink onto the surface of an electrolyte membrane. [Background technology]

[0002] Polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) using an ion exchange membrane (electrolyte membrane) as an electrolyte are known. Polymer electrolyte fuel cells use catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) in which a catalyst layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte membrane. The catalyst-coated membrane is manufactured by applying a catalyst ink to the surface of the electrolyte membrane. A conventional apparatus for manufacturing a catalyst-coated membrane is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0003] As described in Patent Document 1, the electrolyte membrane has the property of swelling and easily deforming when it absorbs moisture. For this reason, in the device of Patent Document 1, the electrolyte membrane is transported while being supported by a support film in order to suppress deformation of the electrolyte membrane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-1123 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Also, a technology called solid polymer water electrolysis is known in the past, which produces hydrogen (H2) by electrolyzing water (H2O). In solid polymer water electrolysis, a membrane-catalyst layer assembly in which a catalyst layer is formed on the surface of an electrolyte membrane is used. However, the electrolyte membrane used in solid polymer water electrolysis is thicker than the electrolyte membrane used in solid polymer fuel cells. This causes a problem that the electrolyte membrane is more greatly deformed when swelling occurs in the electrolyte membrane.

[0006] The support film described in the above Patent Document 1 adheres to the electrolyte membrane by the van der Waals force of the support film itself. However, such adhesion by van der Waals force alone may cause peeling between the support film and the electrolyte membrane when the thick electrolyte membrane swells.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a technique that can prevent an electrolyte membrane from peeling off from a support film even when a thick electrolyte membrane swells. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is a support film for supporting an electrolyte membrane having a thickness of 50 μm or more, comprising a base film and an adhesive layer covering one side of the base film, wherein the thickness of the base film is 50 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and when an adherend is a PET film, the adhesive layer has an adhesive strength of 0.05 N / cm or more as measured by the test method of JIS Z0237.

[0009] The second invention of the present application is the support film of the first invention, wherein the tensile strength of the base film is 10 kg / mm 2 That's all.

[0010] A third aspect of the present invention is the support film of the first or second aspect, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present invention is the support film according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the adhesive strength is 35 N / cm or less.

[0012] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a laminated substrate comprising the support film according to any one of the first to fourth aspects and the electrolyte membrane attached to the adhesive layer of the support film.

[0013] A sixth invention of the present application is a coating device comprising a nozzle for applying a catalyst ink to a surface of the electrolyte membrane of the laminated substrate of the fifth invention, and a transport mechanism for moving the laminated substrate relative to the nozzle.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a coating method, in which the layered substrate according to the fifth aspect is moved relatively to a nozzle while a catalyst ink is applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane by the nozzle.

[0015] An eighth invention of the present application is a coating device comprising: an attachment unit that forms a laminated base material by attaching the electrolyte membrane to the adhesive layer of a support film of any one of the first to fourth inventions; a nozzle that applies a catalyst ink to the surface of the electrolyte membrane of the laminated base material; and a transport mechanism that moves the laminated base material relative to the nozzle.

[0016] A ninth invention of the present application is a coating method comprising the steps of: a) forming a laminated base material by attaching the electrolyte membrane to the adhesive layer of a support film of any one of the first to fourth inventions; and b) applying a catalyst ink to a surface of the electrolyte membrane by a nozzle while moving the laminated base material relative to the nozzle. Effect of the Invention

[0017] According to the first to ninth aspects of the present invention, the support film is attached to the electrolyte membrane by an adhesive layer having sufficient adhesive strength. In addition, by making the thickness of the base film 50 μm or more, the support film can be given high rigidity. This makes it possible to prevent the electrolyte membrane from peeling off from the support film even if the thick electrolyte membrane swells.

[0018] In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, the support film can be provided with higher rigidity, which makes it possible to prevent the electrolyte membrane and the support film from being deformed even when the thick electrolyte membrane swells.

[0019] In particular, according to the third aspect of the present invention, when the electrolyte membrane supported on the support film is heated, the adhesive can be prevented from hardening.

[0020] In particular, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the base film can be easily peeled off from the electrolyte membrane. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the results of evaluating the adhesion to an electrolyte membrane and the deformation amount of a support film when the electrolyte membrane is swollen, by changing the thickness of a base film. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the results of evaluating the adhesion to an electrolyte membrane and the deformation of a support film when the electrolyte membrane is swollen, by changing the tensile strength of the base film. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a graph showing the results of evaluating the adhesion to an electrolyte membrane and the deformation of a support film when the electrolyte membrane is swollen, by changing the adhesive strength of an adhesive layer. [Diagram 5] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a coating device according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coating device according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] <1. About the laminated base material> Fig. 1 is a partial perspective view of a laminated substrate 9 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The laminated substrate 9 is a long strip-shaped substrate used in a manufacturing process of a catalyst-coated membrane (CCM). As shown in Fig. 1, the laminated substrate 9 has an electrolyte membrane 91 and a support film 92 that supports the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0024] The electrolyte membrane 91 is a thin film (ion exchange membrane) having ion conductivity. A fluorine-based or hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membrane is used as the electrolyte membrane 91. Specifically, for example, a polymer electrolyte membrane containing perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid is used as the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0025] The electrolyte membrane 91 of this embodiment is used in solid polymer water electrolysis, which produces hydrogen (H2) by electrolyzing water (H2O). The thickness of the electrolyte membrane for solid polymer fuel cells is about 5 μm to 30 μm, but the electrolyte membrane 91 for solid polymer water electrolysis is thicker, at 50 μm or more. The thickness of the electrolyte membrane 91 is, for example, 150 μm to 300 μm.

[0026] 1, the electrolyte membrane 91 has a first surface 911 onto which a catalyst ink is applied by a coating device 1 described later, and a second surface 912 which is the reverse surface of the first surface 911. The electrolyte membrane 91 swells due to moisture in the air, but shrinks when the humidity is low. That is, the electrolyte membrane 91 has the property of being easily deformed in response to the humidity in the air. Furthermore, the electrolyte membrane 91 also swells by absorbing the solvent in the catalyst ink when the catalyst ink is applied.

[0027] The support film 92 is a film for suppressing deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91. The electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 are attached to each other. In this way, the electrolyte membrane 91 is supported by the support film 92. By handling the electrolyte membrane 91 while it is supported by the support film 92, rather than by itself, deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91 can be suppressed. Furthermore, by using the support film 92, the electrolyte membrane 91, which has low mechanical strength, can be transported without being damaged.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the support film 92 includes a base film 921 and an adhesive layer 922 .

[0029] The base film 921 is a resin film having higher mechanical strength and excellent shape retention than the electrolyte membrane 91. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is used as the material of the base film 921. However, instead of PET, PEN (polyethylene naphthalate), oriented nylon, oriented rigid polyvinyl chloride, OPP (oriented polypropylene), or the like may be used as the material of the base film 921.

[0030] The thickness of the base film 921 is 50 μm or more and 300 μm or less. The tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature is 10 kg / mm 2 That is all. When the thickness of electrolyte membrane 91 is large, the force generated by the deformation of electrolyte membrane 91 also becomes large. However, by appropriately setting the thickness and tensile strength of base film 921, it is possible to impart high rigidity to support film 92. This makes it possible to support electrolyte membrane 91 while suppressing deformation of electrolyte membrane 91.

[0031] The adhesive layer 922 is an adhesive layer covering one surface of the base film 921. The electrolyte membrane 91 is attached to the adhesive layer 922 of the support film 92. A thermoplastic adhesive is used for the adhesive layer 922. Specifically, an inorganic solvent-based adhesive such as an epoxy-based, acrylic-based, or silicone rubber-based adhesive can be used. The adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922 is 0.05 N / cm or more when measured using a PET film as the adherend according to the test method of JIS Z0237. In this way, the adhesive layer 922 having sufficient adhesive strength allows the support film 92 to be well adhered to the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0032] <2. Experimental Example> Next, the thickness of base film 921, the tensile strength of base film 921, and the adhesive strength of adhesive layer 922 were changed, and the characteristics of support film 92 were evaluated. The results will be described.

[0033] <2-1. Thickness of the support film> 2 is a diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion to the electrolyte membrane 91 and the deformation amount of the support film 92 when the electrolyte membrane 91 is swollen by changing the thickness of the base film 921. In the experiment of FIG. 2, the tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature was set to 15 kg / mm 2 2, the adhesive strength of adhesive layer 922 measured by the test method of JIS Z0237 when the adherend was a PET film was fixed at 0.25 N / cm. The thickness of base film 921 was changed in the range of 25 μm to 100 μm.

[0034] 2, the adhesion of the support film 92 to the electrolyte membrane 91 was good in all cases where the thickness of the base film 921 was 25 μm to 100 μm. Furthermore, when the thickness of the base film 921 was 25 μm, the support film 92 was deformed when the electrolyte membrane 91 was swelled. When the thickness of the base film 921 was 40 μm, the support film 92 was very slightly deformed when the electrolyte membrane 91 was swelled. However, when the thickness of the base film 921 was 50 μm or more, the support film 92 was hardly deformed even when the electrolyte membrane 91 was swelled.

[0035] From these results, it is considered that when the thickness of the base film 921 is less than 50 μm, the rigidity of the support film 92 is lower than when the thickness of the base film 921 is 50 μm or more, and therefore the support film 92 is deformed when the electrolyte membrane 91 swells. Therefore, it is preferable that the thickness of the base film 921 is 50 μm or more. Furthermore, it is more preferable that the thickness of the base film 921 is 75 μm or more.

[0036] However, if the thickness of the base film 921 is too large, it becomes difficult to wind up and handle the support film 92 and the laminated base material 9 in a roll. For this reason, the thickness of the base film 921 is desirably 300 μm or less. For example, the thickness of the base film 921 may be 125 to 190 μm.

[0037] <2-2. Tensile strength of the support film> FIG. 3 shows the results of evaluating the adhesion to the electrolyte membrane 91 and the deformation amount of the support film 92 when the electrolyte membrane 91 is swelled by changing the tensile strength of the base film 921. In the experiment of FIG. 3, the thickness of the base film 921 was fixed at 100 μm. Also, in the experiment of FIG. 3, the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922 measured by the test method of JIS Z0237 when the adherend was a PET film was fixed at 0.25 N / cm. The tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature was then set to 5 kg / mm. 2~15kg / mm 2 was changed in the range of

[0038] According to the experimental results shown in FIG. 3, the tensile strength of the base film 921 is 5 kg / mm 2 ~15kg / mm 2 In either case, the adhesion of the support film 92 to the electrolyte membrane 91 was good. 2 In the following cases, when the electrolyte membrane 91 was swollen, the support film 92 was deformed. However, when the tensile strength of the base film 921 was less than 10 kg / mm 2 In the above cases, even when the electrolyte membrane 91 was swollen, the support film 92 was hardly deformed.

[0039] From these results, it was found that the tensile strength of the base film 921 was 10 kg / mm 2 If the tensile strength of the base film 921 is less than 10 kg / mm 2 It is considered that the rigidity of the support film 92 is lower than that in the above cases, and therefore the support film 92 is deformed when the electrolyte membrane 91 swells. Therefore, the tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature is 10 kg / mm 2 The tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature is preferably 15 kg / mm 2 It is more desirable to set the above.

[0040] However, if the tensile strength of the base film 921 is too high, it becomes difficult to wind up and handle the support film 92 and the laminated base material 9 in a roll. For this reason, the tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature is set to 50 kg / mm 2 It is desirable to do the following:

[0041] <2-3. Adhesive strength of adhesive layer> 4 is a diagram showing the results of evaluating the adhesion to the electrolyte membrane 91 and the deformation amount of the support film 92 when the electrolyte membrane 91 is swelled by changing the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922. In the experiment of FIG. 4, the thickness of the base film 921 was fixed at 100 μm. Also, in the experiment of FIG. 4, the tensile strength of the base film 921 at room temperature was set to 15 kg / mm 2 The adhesive strength of adhesive layer 922, measured by the test method of JIS Z0237 when the adherend was a PET film, was changed in the range of 0.02 N / cm to 0.2 N / cm.

[0042] According to the experimental results of FIG. 4, when the electrolyte membrane 91 was swelled, almost no deformation occurred in the support film 92 regardless of whether the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922 was 0.02 N / cm to 0.2 N / cm. Furthermore, when the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922 was less than 0.05 N / cm, the adhesion of the support film 92 to the electrolyte membrane 91 was relatively low. Specifically, partial peeling was observed between the electrolyte membrane 91 and the adhesive layer 922. In contrast, when the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922 was 0.05 N / cm or more, the adhesion of the support film 92 to the electrolyte membrane 91 was good. Specifically, peeling of the electrolyte membrane 91 from the adhesive layer 922 was not observed.

[0043] From these results, in order to prevent peeling of the electrolyte membrane 91 from the support film 92, it is desirable to set the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922, measured by the test method of JIS Z 0237 when the adherend is a PET film, to 0.05 N / cm or more. It is more desirable to set the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922, measured by the test method of JIS Z 0237 when the adherend is a PET film, to 0.125 N / cm or more.

[0044] However, the support film 92 must eventually be peeled off from the electrolyte membrane 91. If the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922 is too strong, it becomes difficult to peel the support film 92 off the electrolyte membrane 91. For this reason, it is desirable that the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer 922, measured by the test method of JIS Z0237 when the adherend is a PET film, is, for example, 35 N / cm or less.

[0045] <3. Coating equipment> <3-1. First embodiment> Next, the coating device 1 that uses the above-mentioned laminated substrate 9 to coat the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 with a catalyst ink will be described.

[0046] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coating apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment. The coating apparatus 1 is an apparatus for forming a catalyst layer 93, which serves as an electrode, on a first surface 911 of an electrolyte membrane 91 while transporting a long strip-shaped laminated substrate 9 in the longitudinal direction in a manufacturing process of a membrane-catalyst layer assembly used in solid polymer water electrolysis. As shown in Fig. 5, the coating apparatus 1 includes a transport mechanism 10, a coating section 20, a drying section 30, and a control section 40.

[0047] The transport mechanism 10 transports the laminated base material 9 in a transport direction along its longitudinal direction. The transport mechanism 10 of this embodiment has an unwinding roller 11, a plurality of transport rollers 12, and a winding roller 13. The laminated base material 9, which has been formed in advance by bonding an electrolyte membrane 91 and a support film 92 together in a separate device, is set on the unwinding roller 11. The laminated base material 9 is unwound from the unwinding roller 11 and transported along a transport path defined by the plurality of transport rollers 12. Each transport roller 12 rotates about a horizontal axis to guide the laminated base material 9 downstream of the transport path. After transport, the laminated base material 9 is collected by the winding roller 13. The positions and number of the transport rollers 12 do not necessarily have to be as shown in FIG. 5.

[0048] The coating unit 20 is a mechanism for applying a catalyst ink to the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 of the laminated substrate 9 transported by the transport mechanism 10. For the catalyst ink, an electrode paste in which particles containing a catalyst material (e.g., platinum (Pt)) are dispersed in a solvent such as alcohol is used.

[0049] The laminated base material 9 is supported by a backup roller 14, which also serves as a conveying roller, downstream of the unwinding roller 11 on the conveying path and upstream of the drying section 30 on the conveying path. The backup roller 14 is a columnar or cylindrical roller, and rotates about a horizontal axis while in contact with the support film 92 of the laminated base material 9.

[0050] The coating section 20 has a coating nozzle 21 facing a first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 of the laminated substrate 9 supported by a backup roller 14. Rotation of the backup roller 14 causes the laminated substrate 9 to move relative to the coating nozzle 21. For the coating nozzle 21, for example, a so-called slit nozzle having a slit-shaped discharge port extending along the width direction (a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the laminated substrate 9 and horizontal).

[0051] The coating nozzle 21 is connected to a catalyst ink supply source 23 via a liquid supply pipe 22. An on-off valve 24 is inserted in the liquid supply pipe 22. Therefore, when the on-off valve 24 is opened, the catalyst ink is supplied from the catalyst ink supply source 23 through the liquid supply pipe 22 to the coating nozzle 21. The catalyst ink is then discharged from the discharge port of the coating nozzle 21 toward a first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 of the laminated substrate 9 supported by the backup roller 14. As a result, the catalyst ink is applied to the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0052] In this embodiment, the on-off valve 24 is opened and closed at a constant cycle to intermittently eject the catalyst ink from the ejection port of the coating nozzle 21. This causes the catalyst ink to be intermittently applied to the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 at constant intervals in the transport direction. However, the on-off valve 24 may be opened continuously to apply the catalyst ink to the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 without interruption in the transport direction.

[0053] The coating nozzle 21 does not necessarily have to eject the catalyst ink onto the laminated substrate 9 supported by the backup roller 14. For example, the coating nozzle 21 may eject the catalyst ink onto the electrolyte membrane 91 of the laminated substrate 9 stretched between adjacent rollers. The coating nozzle 21 may also spray the catalyst ink in a spray form onto the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0054] The drying unit 30 is disposed downstream of the coating nozzle 21 on the transport path. The drying unit 30 has a drying furnace 31 for drying the catalyst ink. In the drying furnace 31, a heated gas (hot air) is blown onto the electrolyte membrane 91 of the laminated base material 9 transported by the transport mechanism 10. Then, the catalyst ink coated on the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 is heated, and the solvent in the catalyst ink is vaporized. As a result, the catalyst ink is dried, and a catalyst layer 93 is formed on the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91. However, the method for drying the catalyst ink does not necessarily have to be the supply of hot air. The drying unit 30 may be one that dries the catalyst ink by other methods such as light irradiation or reduced pressure.

[0055] In this manner, in this coating apparatus 1, each process of unwinding the laminated base material 9 from the unwinding roller 11, coating the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 with the catalyst ink, and drying in the drying oven 31 are carried out in sequence. As a result, a catalyst layer 93 is formed on the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91. Furthermore, in this coating apparatus 1, the electrolyte membrane 91 is always supported by the support film 92. As a result, deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91 due to swelling is suppressed.

[0056] The control unit 40 is a means for controlling the operation of each unit in the coating apparatus 1. The control unit 40 is configured by a computer having a processor such as a CPU, a memory such as a RAM, and a storage unit such as a hard disk drive. A computer program for executing the above-mentioned coating and drying processes is stored in the storage unit.

[0057] The control unit 40 is also connected to be able to communicate with each of the conveying mechanism 10, the on-off valve 24, and the drying furnace 31. The control unit 40 controls the operation of each of the above-mentioned units in the coating apparatus 1 in accordance with a computer program, thereby causing the coating and drying process in the coating apparatus 1 to proceed.

[0058] When the catalyst ink is applied to the electrolyte membrane 91 in the coating section 20, the solvent in the catalyst ink permeates the electrolyte membrane 91. This causes the electrolyte membrane 91 to swell. In particular, the electrolyte membrane 91 for solid polymer water electrolysis has a thickness of 50 μm or more, and is therefore prone to significant deformation due to swelling. However, in this embodiment, a base film 921 having a thickness of 50 μm or more is attached to the second surface 912 of the electrolyte membrane 91 via an adhesive layer 922. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91. In addition, even if the electrolyte membrane 91 is somewhat deformed due to swelling, it is possible to suppress peeling of the electrolyte membrane 91 from the support film 92.

[0059] In the membrane-catalyst layer assembly for solid polymer water electrolysis, the amount of platinum carried in the catalyst layer 93 is set to 0.5 mg / cm 2 In the membrane-catalyst layer assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, the amount of platinum supported in the catalyst layer must be 0.5 mg / cm or more. 2 In the membrane-catalyst layer assembly for solid polymer water electrolysis, the amount of platinum supported is less than that of the catalyst layer 93. Specifically, in the membrane-catalyst layer assembly for solid polymer water electrolysis, the amount of platinum supported in the catalyst layer 93 is, for example, 0.5 mg / cm. 2 ~1.0mg / cm 2 It is.

[0060] In this way, in order to increase the amount of platinum carried in the catalyst layer 93, it is necessary to increase the amount of catalyst ink per unit area applied to the electrolyte membrane 91 in the coating section 20 described above. This increases the amount of solvent permeating into the electrolyte membrane 91, making the electrolyte membrane 91 more likely to swell. However, in this embodiment, as described above, the base film 921 having a thickness of 50 μm or more is attached to the second surface 912 of the electrolyte membrane 91 via the adhesive layer 922. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91. In addition, even if the electrolyte membrane 91 is somewhat deformed due to swelling, it is possible to suppress peeling of the electrolyte membrane 91 from the support film 92.

[0061] In addition, in the drying unit 30 described above, not only the catalyst ink but also the adhesive layer 922 is heated. Specifically, the adhesive layer 922 is heated to a temperature of 50 to 160° C. However, in this embodiment, a thermoplastic adhesive is used for the adhesive layer 922. Therefore, even if the adhesive layer 922 is heated in the drying unit 30, the adhesive layer 922 is not cured and the adhesion to the electrolyte membrane 91 is not excessively increased. Therefore, the problem that it becomes difficult to peel the support film 92 from the electrolyte membrane 91 after the drying process does not occur. In addition, the adhesive is also suppressed from remaining on the second surface 912 of the electrolyte membrane 91 after the support film 92 is peeled off from the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0062] <3-2. Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the coating device 1 that uses the above-mentioned laminated substrate 9 to coat the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 with a catalyst ink will be described.

[0063] 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a coating apparatus 1 according to a second embodiment. In the above-described first embodiment, the electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 are bonded together in an apparatus separate from the coating apparatus 1. In contrast, in the second embodiment, the electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 are bonded together inside the coating apparatus 1.

[0064] 6, the coating device 1 of the second embodiment includes an application unit 50, a conveying mechanism 10, a coating unit 20, a drying unit 30, and a control unit 40. The parts other than the unwinding roller 11 of the conveying mechanism 10, the coating unit 20, the drying unit 30, and the control unit 40 are the same as those of the first embodiment described above, and therefore will not be described again.

[0065] The laminating section 50 includes an electrolyte membrane supply roller 51 , a support film supply roller 52 , a peeling roller 53 , a peeling film recovery roller 54 , and a pair of laminating rollers 55 .

[0066] A roll-shaped electrolyte membrane 91 is set on the electrolyte membrane supply roller 51. The electrolyte membrane 91 is unwound from the electrolyte membrane supply roller 51. A roll-shaped support film 92 is set on the support film supply roller 52. A release film 923 is attached to the surface of an adhesive layer 922 of the support film 92. That is, the support film 92 set on the support film supply roller 52 has three layers: a base film 921, an adhesive layer 922, and a release film 923.

[0067] The peeling roller 53 is a roller for peeling the release film 923 from the support film 92 fed from the support film supply roller 52. After the support film 92 has passed the peeling roller 53, the release film 923 is transported toward the release film recovery roller 54 and recovered by the release film recovery roller 54. In addition, after passing the peeling roller 53, the base film 921 and the adhesive layer 922 are transported toward the laminating roller 55.

[0068] The pair of laminating rollers 55 are rollers for laminating the electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 from which the release film 923 has been peeled off. One of the pair of laminating rollers 55 is made of rubber. The other of the pair of laminating rollers 55 is made of metal. The outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of laminating rollers 55 face each other, and are pressed toward each other by a pressure mechanism (not shown).

[0069] The electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 are introduced between a pair of laminating rollers 55. A first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91 contacts the rubber laminating roller 55. A base film 921 of the support film 92 contacts the metal laminating roller 55. An adhesive layer 922 of the support film 92 and a second surface 912 of the electrolyte membrane 91 are brought into close contact with each other when passing between the pair of laminating rollers 55. This causes the electrolyte membrane 91 to be attached to the adhesive layer 922. As a result, a long strip-shaped laminated base material 9 composed of the electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 is formed.

[0070] Thereafter, the laminated base material 9 is transported downstream by the transport mechanism 10. Then, similarly to the above-described first embodiment, coating of the catalyst ink in the coating unit 20 and drying treatment in the drying oven 31 are sequentially performed. As a result, a catalyst layer 93 is formed on the first surface 911 of the electrolyte membrane 91.

[0071] Like the coating device 1 of the first embodiment, the coating device 1 of the second embodiment also performs the coating and drying process of the catalyst ink in a state in which a support film 92 having an adhesive layer 922 is attached to the second surface 912 of the electrolyte membrane 91. This makes it possible to suppress deformation of the electrolyte membrane 91. Furthermore, even if the electrolyte membrane 91 is somewhat deformed due to swelling, it is possible to suppress peeling of the electrolyte membrane 91 from the support film 92.

[0072] Moreover, in the coating device 1 of the second embodiment, the electrolyte membrane 91 and the support film 92 are bonded together within the coating device 1. Therefore, it is not necessary to transport the laminated base material 9 after bonding between a plurality of devices.

[0073] <4. Modifications> Although the main embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0074] The coating device 1 in the above embodiment applies catalyst ink to the electrolyte membrane 91 while transporting the long strip-shaped laminated substrate 9. However, the coating device may be one in which the sheet-shaped laminated substrate 9 is placed on a stationary stage and the coating nozzle is moved relative to the laminated substrate 9 to apply the catalyst ink to the electrolyte membrane 91. In other words, the coating device 1 may be one in which either the laminated substrate 9 or the coating nozzle is moved relative to the other to apply the catalyst ink to the electrolyte membrane 91 by the coating nozzle.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the support film 92 and laminated substrate 9 for producing a membrane-catalyst layer assembly for use in solid polymer water electrolysis have been described. However, the support film and laminated substrate of the present invention may be used for applications other than solid polymer water electrolysis. For example, the support film and laminated substrate of the present invention may be used for producing a membrane-catalyst layer assembly for use in a fuel cell.

[0076] The support film and laminated substrate of the present invention may also be used for producing a membrane-catalyst layer assembly used in a process for producing an organic hydride (e.g., toluene-methylcyclohexane) by hydrogenating an aromatic compound such as toluene.

[0077] In addition, the detailed configurations of the laminated substrate and the coating device may differ from those shown in the drawings of the present application. In addition, the elements appearing in the above-mentioned embodiments and modified examples may be appropriately selected within a range that does not cause a contradiction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 1 Coating device 9 Laminated base material 10. Conveyor mechanism 20 Coating Department 21 Coating nozzle 30 Drying section 40 Control section 50 Attachment section 91 Electrolyte membrane 92 Support Film 93 Catalyst layer 921 Base Film 922 Adhesive layer 923 Release film

Claims

1. A support film for supporting an electrolyte membrane having a thickness of 50 μm or more used in solid polymer water electrolysis, A base film; an adhesive layer covering one surface of the base film; and The thickness of the base film is 50 μm or more and 300 μm or less, A support film, wherein the adhesive strength of the adhesive layer measured according to the test method of JIS Z0237 when the adherend is a PET film is 0.05 N / cm or more.

2. 2. The support film of claim 1, The tensile strength of the base film is 10 kg / mm ２ That's it, the support film.

3. The support film according to claim 1 or claim 2, The adhesive layer comprises a thermoplastic adhesive.

4. A support film according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The support film has an adhesive strength of 35 N / cm or less.

5. A support film according to any one of claims 1 to 4; the electrolyte membrane attached to the adhesive layer of the support film; A laminated substrate having:

6. a nozzle for applying a catalyst ink to the surface of the electrolyte membrane of the laminated substrate according to claim 5; a conveying mechanism that moves the layered base material relative to the nozzle; A coating device comprising:

7. A coating method comprising: applying a catalyst ink onto the surface of the electrolyte membrane through a nozzle while moving the laminated substrate according to claim 5 relative to the nozzle.

8. an attachment section that forms a laminated base material by attaching the electrolyte membrane to the adhesive layer of the support film according to any one of claims 1 to 4; a nozzle for applying a catalyst ink to the surface of the electrolyte membrane of the laminated substrate; a conveying mechanism that moves the layered base material relative to the nozzle; A coating device comprising:

9. a) forming a laminated base material by attaching the electrolyte membrane to the adhesive layer of the support film according to any one of claims 1 to 4; b) applying a catalyst ink onto the surface of the electrolyte membrane using a nozzle while moving the laminated substrate relative to the nozzle; The coating method comprises:

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