WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS, AND PRODUCTION METHOD OF ELECTROLYTE-MEMBRANE/ELECTRODE STRUCTURE FOR WATER ELECTROLYSIS APPARATUS

• Main Author: MITSUDA NAOKI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 19.09.2019
• Subjects: APPARATUS THEREFOR; CHEMISTRY; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTIONOF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; METALLURGY

To provide a water electrolysis apparatus and a production method of an electrolyte-membrane/electrode structure capable of effectively avoiding damage of an electrolyte membrane even when a load added to the electrolyte membrane is increased by increased pressure difference between a cathode electrode catalyst layer side and an anode electrode catalyst layer side of the electrolyte membrane.SOLUTION: A water electrolysis apparatus 10 is equipped with an electrolyte-membrane/electrode structure 30 having an anode electrode catalyst layer 42a on one plane of an electrolyte membrane 40 and a cathode electrode catalyst layer 44a on the other plane. The electrolyte membrane 40 has a proton type ion exchange group. An exposed part 40b exposed from the anode electrode catalyst layer 42a and the cathode electrode catalyst layer 44a has a smaller ion exchange capacity than a covered part 40a covered by the anode electrode catalyst layer 42a and the cathode electrode catalyst layer 44a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3 【課題】電解質膜よりカソード電極触媒層側とアノード電極触媒層側との差圧が増大することにより、電解質膜に加えられる荷重が増大した場合であっても、電解質膜の損傷を効果的に回避可能な水電解装置及び水電解装置用の電解質膜・電極構造体の製造方法を提供する。【解決手段】水電解装置１０は、電解質膜４０の一方の面にアノード電極触媒層４２ａが設けられ且つ他方の面にカソード電極触媒層４４ａが設けられた電解質膜・電極構造体３０を備える。電解質膜４０は、プロトン型のイオン交換基を有し、アノード電極触媒層４２ａ及びカソード電極触媒層４４ａで覆われた被覆部４０ａに比して、アノード電極触媒層４２ａ及びカソード電極触媒層４４ａから露出する露出部４０ｂのイオン交換容量が小さい。【選択図】図３