Electrode for solid polymer fuel cell

• Main Authors: INAI SHIGERU, IWASAWA CHIKARA, WATANABE SHINYA, TANI MASAKI, KOHYAMA KATSUHIKO, MURO TAKESHI, KAJI HAYATO, FUKUDA KAORU, SHINKAI HIROSHI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 17.06.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY

An electrode for a solid polymer fuel cell includes a gas diffusion layer, an electrode catalyst layer disposed between a solid polymer membrane of the fuel cell and the gas diffusion layer, and a water-holding layer disposed between the gas diffusion layer and the electrode catalyst layer. Under high-relative humidity conditions of reaction gases, flooding can be prevented because the electrode catalyst layer is made porous, while under low-relative humidity conditions of reaction gases, sufficient water contents can be stably provided thanks to the water-holding layer so that proton conductivity of the solid polymer membrane can be maintained appropriately. Consequently, high-performance and high-durability electrode and membrane electrode assembly for a solid polymer fuel cell can be provided such that the performance and the durability thereof are not affected by change in relative humidity in reactant gases supplied to the solid polymer fuel cell.