METHOD FOR REDUCING HALOGEN ION CONTAMINANT IN SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELL

• Main Authors: Zou, Yuquan, Yang, Yunsong, Chuy, Carmen, Wang, Keping
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.10.2018
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; ELECTRICITY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSIONOF CHEMICAL INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY; REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGYGENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINSTCLIMATE CHANGE

A method is disclosed for improving the durability of membrane electrode assemblies in solid polymer electrolyte fuel cells by reducing the amount of halogen ion contaminants present. Silver carbonate is dissolved in an ionomer dispersion and incorporated into an appropriate component in the fuel cell where it reacts with halogen ion present to form silver halides. The component is then exposed to a suitable light source that decomposes the halide into halogen gas which is then removed prior to final assembly of the fuel cell.