US4654104A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for making an improved solid polymer electrolyte electrode using a fluorocarbon membrane in a thermoplastic state
Assignee: Dow Chemical Co
•
Filing: 1985-12-09
•
Granted: 1987-03-31
•
Expires: 2005-12-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention is a method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure comprising: (a) heating a fluorocarbon membrane, while it is in its thermoplastic form, to a temperature at which it softens; (b) contacting a plurality of electrically conductive, catalytically active particles with at least a portion of one face of the membrane, while said membrane is in a softened state; (c) subjecting the membrane/particle combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the particles into the membrane; (d) contacting the particulated membrane with an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix, (e) subjecting the particulated membrane/matrix combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the matrix into the particulated membrane.
Inventors
- 👤 John M. McIntyre
- 👤 Jeffrey D. Birdwell
- 👤 Bruce R. Smith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 18:47
CPC Classifications
H; H01; H01M; H01M8/00; H01M8/10; H01M8/1004; C; C25; C25B; C25B9/00; C25B9/17; C25B9/19; C25B9/23; H01M8/1016; H01M8/1018; H01M8/102; H01M8/1023; H01M8/1039; Y; Y02; Y02E; Y02E60/00; Y02E60/30; Y02E60/50; Y02P; Y02P70/00; Y02P70/50; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10; Y10T156/1089; Y10T156/109
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure comprising: (a) heating a fluorocarbon membrane, while it is in its thermoplastic form, to a temperature at which it softens; (b) contacting a plurality of electrically conductive, catalytically active particles with at least a portion of one face of the membrane, while said membrane is in a softened state thereby forming a membrane/particle combination; (c) subjecting the membrane/particle combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the particles into the membrane; (d) contacting the membrane/particle combination with an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix, thereby forming a particulated membrane/matrix combination; and (e) subjecting the particulated membrane/matrix combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the matrix into the particulated membrane.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure comprising: (a) heating a fluorocarbon membrane, while it is in its thermoplastic form, to a temperature at which it softens; (b) contacting a plurality of electrically conductive, catalytically active particles with at least a portion of one face of the membrane, while said membrane is in a softened state thereby forming a membrane/particle combination; (c) subjecting the membrane/particle combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the particles into the membrane; (d) contacting the membrane/particle combination with an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix, thereby forming a particulated membrane/matrix combination; and (e) subjecting the particulated membrane/matrix combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the matrix into the particulated membrane.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the fluorocarbon membrane is heated to a temperature of from about 150° to about 350° Celsius.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein membrane is from about 0.0005 to about 0.015 inches thick.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the particles are applied to both sides of the membrane.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the pressure to embed the particles into the membrane is from about 1 to about 8 tons per square inch.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 5 wherein the pressure is applied from about 0.2 to about 2 minutes.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the matrix is selected from the group consisting of carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt, metallic screen, metallic felt and a porous metallic sheet.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the matrix is carbon cloth.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the carbon cloth has a thickness of from about 0.002 to about 0.025 inches.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the matrix has a resistivity of from about 600,000 to about 1375 microohm-centimeters.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the matrix has a resistivity of about 1500 microohm-centimeters.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the catalytically active particles have an average particle size diameter of from about 10 to about 30 microns.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the catalytically active particles have a surface area of from about 800 to about 1800 square meters per gram.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the catalytically active particles are selected from the group consisting of platinum group metals, platinum group metal oxides, ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, platinum, palladium, either alone or in combination with an oxide of a film-forming metal, and cobalt oxide either alone or in combination with other metal oxides.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the catalytically active particles are present on the membrane at a level of less than about 25 milligrams per square centimeter of membrane.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the catalytically active particles are present on the membrane at a level of from about 0.4 to about 1.0 milligrams per square centimeter of membrane.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the fluorocarbon polymer has an equivalent weight of from about 500 to about 2000.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive particles constitute an anode electrode.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electrically conductive particles constitute an cathode electrode.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1 wherein a plurality of electrically conductive particles form an anode electrode on one side of the membrane sheet and a plurality of electrically conductive particles form a cathode electrode on the opposite side of the membrane.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 20 wherein one electrode is composed of a plurality of electrically conductive particles and the other electrode is composed of a porous metal plate.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4107005A
Cited
US4210501A
Cited
US4276146A
Cited
US4465570A
Cited
US4287032A
Cited
US4468311A
Cited
US4319969A
Cited
US4293396A
Cited
US4315805A
Cited
US4364815A
Cited
US4457822A
Cited
US4272353A
Cited
US4311568A
Cited
US4299674A
Cited
US4394229A
Cited
US4360417A
Cited
US4299675A
Cited
US4389297A
Cited
US4341605A
Cited
US4486276A
Cited
EP0066369A1
Cited
US4349428A
Cited
US4421579A
Cited
US4469579A
Cited
US4568441A
Cited
US4437951A
Cited
US4414092A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1990-03-30 | 1990-09-29 | 1991-03-31 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1994-03-30 | 1994-09-29 | 1995-03-31 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1998-03-30 | 1998-09-29 | 1999-03-31 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |