MEMBRANE ELECTRODE ASSEMBLY FOR FUEL CELL, AND FUEL CELL USING THE SAME

• Main Authors: MATSUDA HIROAKI, AKIYAMA TAKASHI, UEDA HIDEYUKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 13.10.2011
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a fuel cell to have superior power generating characteristics and durability.SOLUTION: A membrane electrode assembly and the fuel cell to use it include an anode, a cathode, and an electrolyte membrane arranged between the anode and the cathode. The anode includes: an anode catalyst layer laminated on the electrolyte membrane; and an anode diffusion layer laminated on the anode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst layer includes an anode catalyst and a polymer electrolyte, and is constituted of at least the upper layer part and the lower layer part different in the content of the polymer electrolyte. The upper layer part is positioned on the anode diffusion layer side. The lower layer part is positioned on the electrolyte membrane side, and its content of the polymer electrolyte in the lower layer part is lower than that of the polymer electrolyte in the upper layer part. Furthermore, the anode catalyst layer has a plurality of through-holes, of which a portion of the smallest micropore diameter exists in the lower layer part.