Abstract: A process for preparing a catalyst material, said catalyst material comprising a support material, a first metal and one or more second metals, wherein the first metal and the second metal(s) are alloyed and wherein the first metal is a platinum group metal and the second metal(s) is selected from the group of transition metals and tin provided the second metal(s) is different to the first metal is disclosed. The process comprises depositing a silicon oxide before or after deposition of the second metal(s), alloying the first and second metals and subsequently removing silicon oxide. A catalyst material prepared by this process is also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system for the manufacture of membrane electrode assemblies, comprising: a first carriage traversable along a first track, the first carriage having a support platform; a second carriage traversable along a second track, the second carriage having a support platform; sheet supplying means for supplying sheets comprising a gas diffusion layer onto the support platforms of the carriages; and supply means for supplying a continuous web comprising an ion-conducting membrane between at least a portion of the first and second tracks, wherein the system is arranged to align the first and second carriages either side of the continuous web with the support platforms of the first and second carriages facing the continuous web, whereby the system is suitable for adhering sheets carried thereby to opposite sides of the continuous web in an aligned configuration.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer from a component comprising a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer is disclosed, the process comprising immersing the component comprising the perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer in a solvent comprising an aliphatic diol and heating. Also disclosed is the use of the recovered perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer, for example in to prepared a proton conducting membrane or a catalyst ink.

Abstract: A catalyst layer including: (i) a platinum-containing electrocatalyst; (ii) an oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst; (iii) one or more carbonaceous materials selected from the group consisting of graphite, nanofibres, nanotubes, nanographene platelets and low surface area, heat-treated carbon blacks wherein the one or more carbonaceous materials do not support the platinum-containing electrocatalyst; and (iv) a proton-conducting polymer and its use in an electrochemical device are disclosed.

Abstract: An electrocatalyst material comprising: (i) a support material comprising a plurality of individual support particles or aggregates; (ii) first particles comprising a first metal and an alloying metal; and (iii) second particles consisting of a second metal or a second metal oxide, wherein the second metal is platinum or iridium; wherein each individual support particle or aggregate has dispersed thereon first particles and second particles, characterised in that the mean average particle size of the second particles is smaller than the mean average particle size of the first particles is disclosed. The electrocatalyst material has particular use in an electrode, such as the cathode, of an electrochemical cell, such as a fuel cell.

Abstract: A process for the recovery of a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer from a component comprising a perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer is disclosed, the process comprising immersing the component comprising the perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer in a solvent comprising an aliphatic diol and heating. Also disclosed is the use of the recovered perfluorosulphonic acid ionomer, for example in to prepared a proton conducting membrane or a catalyst ink.

Abstract: A method of operating a fuel cell having an anode, a cathode and a polymer electrolyte membrane disposed between the anode and the cathode, includes feeding the anode with an impure hydrogen stream having low levels of carbon monoxide up to 5 ppm, and wherein the anode includes an anode catalyst layer including a carbon monoxide tolerant catalyst material, wherein the catalyst material includes: (i) a binary alloy of PtX, wherein X is a metal selected from the group consisting of rhodium and osmium, and wherein the atomic percentage of platinum in the alloy is from 45 to 80 atomic % and the atomic percentage of X in the alloy is from 20 to 55 atomic %; and (ii) a support material on which the PtX alloy is dispersed; wherein the total loading of platinum group metals (PGM) in the anode catalyst layer is from 0.01 to 0.2 mgPGM/cm2.

Abstract: A process for preparing a catalyst material, said catalyst material comprising a support material, a first metal and one or more second metals, wherein the first metal and the second metal(s) are alloyed and wherein the first metal is a platinum group metal and the second metal(s) is selected from the group of transition metals and tin provided the second metal(s) is different to the first metal is disclosed. The process comprises depositing a silicon oxide before or after deposition of the second metal(s), alloying the first and second metals and subsequently removing silicon oxide. A catalyst material prepared by this process is also disclosed.

Abstract: An ion-conducting membrane includes: (i) a first ion-conducting layer including one or more first ion-conducting polymers; and (ii) a barrier layer including graphene-based platelets.

Abstract: An electrolyte membrane including (i) a porous mat of nanofibres, wherein the nanofibres are composed of a non-ionically conducting heterocyclic-based polymer, the heterocyclic-based polymer comprising basic functional groups and being soluble in organic solvent; and (ii) an ion-conducting polymer which is a partially- or fully-fluorinated sulphonic acid polymer. The porous mat is essentially fully impregnated with ion-conducting polymer, and the thickness of the porous mat in the electrolyte membrane is distributed across at least 80% of the thickness of the electrolyte membrane. Such a membrane is of use in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell or an electrolyser.

Abstract: A catalyst comprising particles of iridium oxide and a metal oxide (M oxide), wherein the metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of a Group 4 metal oxide, a Group 5 metal oxide, a Group 7 metal oxide and antimony oxide, wherein the catalyst is prepared by subjecting a precursor mixture to flame spray pyrolysis, wherein the precursor mixture comprises a solvent, an iridium oxide precursor and a metal oxide precursor is disclosed. The catalyst has particular use in catalysing the oxygen evolution reaction.

Abstract: An ion-conducting membrane including a first layer and a second layer, wherein the first layer includes a perfluorosulphonic acid polymer and the second layer includes a sulphonated hydrocarbon polymer, characterised in that the ion-conducting membrane has a total thickness of from 5 ?m to 50 ?m and the second layer has a total thickness of 2 ?m or less is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the manufacture of a reinforced membrane-seal assembly, the process comprising, forming one or more strips of an ion-conducting component in a plane on a temporary carrier component, forming a plurality of strips of seal component in the same plane on the temporary carrier component, such that the one or more strips of an ion-conducting component lie between two of said strips of seal component, wherein a planar reinforcing component comprising a plurality of pores is provided in the plane, such that the ion-conducting component and the seal component fill the plurality of pores, the one or more strips of an ion-conducting component, the plurality of strips of seal component and the planar reinforcing component thereby together form a reinforced membrane-seal assembly, and wherein each strip of ion-conducting component extends from a first end of said assembly to a second opposite end.

Abstract: The invention includes a reinforced membrane-seal assembly that comprises a reinforcing component, ion-conducting material, and seal material. The reinforcing component comprises a central region comprising a plurality of apertures extending from a first surface to a second surface of the reinforcing component, the central region having a first aperture area density; an inner peripheral border region surrounding the central region, where the inner peripheral border region is devoid of apertures; and an outer peripheral border region comprising a plurality of apertures extending from the first surface to the second surface of the reinforcing component, the outer peripheral border region having a second aperture area density. The outer peripheral border region surrounds the inner peripheral border region.

Abstract: A catalyst layer including an electrocatalyst and an oxygen evolution catalyst, wherein the oxygen evolution catalyst includes a crystalline metal oxide including: (i) one of more first metals selected from the group consisting of yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, sodium, potassium, indium, thallium, tin, lead, antimony and bismuth; (ii) one or more second metals selected from the group consisting of Ru, Ir, Os and Rh; and (iii) oxygen characterized in that: (a) the atomic ratio of first metal(s):second metal(s) is from 1:1.5 to 1.5:1 (b) the atomic ratio of (first metal(s)+second metal(s)):oxygen is from 1:1 to 1:2 is disclosed.

Abstract: The invention includes a catalysed membrane and membrane electrode assembly. The membrane and membrane electrode assembly comprise an ion-conducting membrane component comprising an ion-conducting membrane, an anode catalyst layer, and a cathode catalyst layer. The anode catalyst layer comprises a first electrocatalyst component comprising a first platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a first carbon support. The first carbon support supports the first platinum-containing electrocatalyst, and the electrochemical platinum surface area in the anode catalyst layer is 5-100 cm2Pt/cm2 of the geometric electrode area of the anode catalyst layer. The cathode catalyst layer comprises a second electrocatalyst component and a second oxygen evolution reaction electrocatalyst. The second electrocatalyst component comprises a second platinum-containing electrocatalyst and a second carbon support, wherein the second carbon support supports the second platinum-containing electrocatalyst component.

Abstract: A process for manufacturing a reinforced membrane-seal assembly includes: (i) providing a carrier material; (ii) providing a planar reinforcing component having one or more first regions including pores and a second region including pores, the first regions being patches and non-continuous and the second region surrounding the first regions and being continuous; (iii) depositing an ion-conducting component; (iv) drying the ion-conducting component; (v) depositing a seal component; (vi) drying the seal component (vii) removing the carrier material. In embodiments, ion-conducting component fills the pores in the first regions and seal component fills the pores in the second region; steps (ii), (iii) and (v) can be carried out in any order; step (iv) is carried out subsequent to step (iii); step (vi) is carried out subsequent to step (v); and steps (iv) and (vi) are carried out subsequent to step (ii). Also disclosed is an assembly prepared by such process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a reinforced membrane-seal assembly, the reinforced membrane-seal assembly including: an inner region and a border region and wherein the inner region includes ion-conducting component and the border region includes seal component; wherein first and second planar porous reinforcing components each extend across the inner region into the border region and wherein the pores of each of the first and second planar porous reinforcing components in the inner region are impregnated with ion-conducting component and the pores of each of the first and second planar porous reinforcing components in the border region are impregnated with seal component is disclosed. Also disclosed is a catalyst-coated reinforced membrane-seal assembly, a reinforced membrane-seal electrode assembly and an electrochemical device including the reinforced membrane-seal assembly.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the manufacture of a catalyst-coated membrane-seal assembly, including: (i) providing a carrier material; (ii-i) forming a first layer, the first layer being formed by: (a) depositing a first catalyst component onto the carrier material such that the first catalyst component is deposited in discrete regions; (b) drying the first layer; (ii-ii) forming a second layer, the second layer being formed by: (a) depositing a first seal component, such that the first seal component provides a picture frame pattern having a continuous region and void regions, the continuous region including second seal component and the void regions being free from second seal component; (b) depositing a first ionomer component onto the first layer, such that the first ionomer component is deposited in discrete regions; and (c) drying the second layer.

Abstract: A platinum alloy catalyst PtXY, wherein X is nickel, cobalt, chromium, copper, titanium or manganese and Y is tantalum or niobium, characterised in that in the alloy the atomic percentage of platinum is 46-75 at %, of X is 1-49 at % and of Y is 1-35 at %; provided that the alloy is not 66 at % Pt20 at % Cr14 at % Ta or 50 at % Pt, 25 at % Co, 25 at % Ta is disclosed. The catalyst has particular use as an oxygen reduction catalyst in fuel cells, and in particular in phosphoric acid fuel cells.