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, 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 Nb and Ta, 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 in the anode catalyst layer is from 0.01 to 0.2 mgPt/cm2.

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 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.

Abstract: A binary alloy catalyst comprising platinum and tantalum, wherein the tantalum is present in the alloy at 15 to 50 atomic % and a phosphoric acid fuel cell comprising such a catalyst is disclosed. The catalyst provides a better CO tolerance.

Abstract: A reinforced catalyst layer assembly, suitably for use in a fuel cell, said reinforced catalyst layer assembly comprising: (i) a planar reinforcing component consisting of a porous material having pores extending through the thickness of the material in the z-direction, and (ii) a first catalyst component comprising a first catalyst material and a first ion-conducting material, characterised in that the first catalyst component is at least partially embedded within the planar reinforcing component, forming a first catalyst layer having a first surface and a second surface is disclosed.

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 reinforced catalyst layer assembly, suitably for use in a fuel cell, said reinforced catalyst layer assembly comprising: (i) a planar reinforcing component consisting of a porous material having pores extending through the thickness of the material in the z-direction, and (ii) a first catalyst component comprising a first catalyst material and a first ion-conducting material, characterised in that the first catalyst component is at least partially embedded within the planar reinforcing component, forming a first catalyst layer having a first surface and a second surface is disclosed.

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: A reinforced catalyst layer assembly, suitably for use in a fuel cell, said reinforced catalyst layer assembly comprising: (i) a planar reinforcing component consisting of a porous material having pores extending through the thickness of the material in the z-direction, and (ii) a first catalyst component comprising a first catalyst material and a first ion-conducting material, characterized in that the first catalyst component is at least partially embedded within the planar reinforcing component, forming a first catalyst layer having a first surface and a second surface is disclosed.

Abstract: A membrane, suitable for use in a fuel cell comprises: (a) a central region comprising an ion-conducting polymeric material; (b) a border region which creates a frame around the central region and which consists of one or more non-ion-conducting materials wherein at least one of the one or more non-ion-conducting materials forms a layer; wherein the non-ion-conducting material of the border region overlaps the ion-conducting polymeric material of the central region by 0 to 10 mm in an overlap region.

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: 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 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: A catalytic material includes (i) a support material and (ii) a thin film catalyst coating having an inner face adjacent to the support material and an outer face, the thin film catalyst coating having a mean thickness of ?8 nm, and wherein at least 40% of the support material surface area is covered by the thin film catalyst coating; and wherein the thin film catalyst coating includes a first metal and one or more second metals, and wherein the atomic percentage of first metal in the thin film catalyst coating is not uniform through the thickness of the thin film catalyst coating.

Abstract: A catalyst includes (i) a primary metal or alloy or mixture including the primary metal, and (ii) an electrically conductive carbon support material for the primary metal or alloy or mixture including the primary metal, wherein the carbon support material: (a) has a specific surface area (BET) of 100-600 m2/g, and (b) has a micropore area of 10-90 m2/g.

Abstract: A platinum alloy catalyst PtXY, wherein X is a transition metal (other than platinum, palladium or iridium) and Y is a transition metal (other than platinum, palladium or iridium) which is less leachable than X in an acidic environment, has an atomic percentage in the alloy of platinum is from 20.5-40at %, of X is from 40.5-78.5at % X and of Y is from 1-19.5at %.

Abstract: A process for preparing a catalytic material including (i) a support material and (ii) a thin film catalyst coating, the coating including one or more first metals, wherein the process includes the steps of: providing a multilayer thin film coating of a second metal on the support material; and spontaneous galvanic displacement of at least some of the second metal with the one or more first metals; wherein the second metal is less noble than the one or more first metals.

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 Ti, V and Cr, 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 in the anode catalyst layer is from 0.01 to 0.2 mgPt/cm2.

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, 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 Nb and Ta, 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 in the anode catalyst layer is from 0.01 to 0.2 mgPt/cm2.

Abstract: A binary alloy catalyst comprising platinum and tantalum, wherein the tantalum is present in the alloy at 15 to 50 atomic % and a phosphoric acid fuel cell comprising such a catalyst is disclosed. The catalyst provides a better CO tolerance.