Abstract: Disclosed is an anode electrocatalyst for a fuel cell comprising an alloy essentially consisting of at least one of tin, germanium and molybdenum, and one or more noble metals selected from platinum, palladium and ruthenium.The tin, germanium and/or molybdenum gas the ability of depressing the poisioning of the noble metal with carbon monoxide so that fuel containing a relatively high content of the carbon monoxide may be supplied to a fuel cell equipped with anode in accordance with the present invention which is otherwise liable to be poisioned.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process of preparing an electrode for a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell which comprises applying a suspension liquid containing a catalyst and ion exchange resin or a catalyst, Ion exchange resin and hydrophobic resin to an electrode substrate, and forming a catalyst layer by drying, sintering the substrate under pressure characterized in that a high boiling point solvent which cannot be removed during the drying procedure is added to the suspension liquid. In this process, the high boiling point solvent such as glycerin and n-butanol which is not removed during the drying step is present in the pressurizing and sintering steps so that the situation of the catalyst layer is maintained constant scarcely influenced by the conditions of the said steps. The above solvent imparts pertinent softness to the ion exchange resin so as not to fill the pores for gas diffusion in the catalyst layer and to sufficiently bond the pieces of the ion exchange having the role of conducting H.sup.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process of preparing fluorinated material which comprises thermally treating the mixture of carbon black and hydrocarbon polymer compound powder for covering the surface of the carbon black with the latter and fluorinating the hydrocarbon polymer compound. The thermal treatment can be conducted in two stages.The fluorinated material prepared in accordance with the present invention can provide much more pore volumes acting as gas networks in, for example, an electrode which exhibits high gas permeability or gas supplying ability. Further, the hydrophobicity is as high as that of the material prepared in accordance with mixing carbon black with hydrocarbon polymer compound dispersed in an organic solvent, and is higher than that of the conventional mixture of carbon black and polytetrafluoroethylene particles. The fluorinated material is preferably employed to a fuel cell as gas network material.

Abstract: Disclosed are a gas diffusion electrode for an electrochemical cell which comprises a catalyst layer formed by binding, by means of poiytotrafluoroethylene, catalyst-supporting carbon black and catalyst-non-supporting carbon black having a fluorinated polyolofine film on substantially whole surface, the catalyst layer being integrated on a substrate, and a process of preparing same.Since the carbon black employed for the formation of the gas network in the catalyst layer of the gas diffusion electrode having the above constitution in accordance with the present invention is completely hydrophobically treated, no electrolyte permeates this portion and the carbon black exhibits high hydrophobicity so that the wet-proofing is maintained even after the long operation period to enable the gas supply to the catalyst particles so as to provide the gas diffusion electrode with a long life and high electrode performances.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are an fuel cell and/or an electrolytic cell which comprises a plurality of unit cells, and one or more separator plates having one or more anode gas supply grooves and one or more cathode gas supply grooves inserted between two adjacent unit cells, at least part of the anode gas supply grooves and the cathode gas supply grooves being overlapped in the direction of the width of the separator plate, and a process of cooling and/or dehumidifying the fuel cell and/or the electrolytic cell by flowing a reaction gas thereto. The most preferable separator plate is such that the anode gas supply grooves and the cathode gas supply grooves are separated by a thin separator wall made of a metal or an electrocondutive resin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are four aspects of processes for preparing an electrode for a solid polymer electrolyte electrochemical cell such as a fuel cell. According to the processes, the electrode having a thin and uniform electrocatalyst layer can be obtained effectively and economically. The processes include a spraying method, a paste rolling method and a dry mixture method.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sandwich-type solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising in sequence, a cathode current collector; a cathode electrically connected to the cathode current collector, said cathode containing an ion exchange resin and cathode catalyst particles in electrical communication with the cathode; an ion exchange membrane; an anode containing an ion exchange resin and anode catalyst particles in electrical communication with the anode; and an anode current collector electrically connected to the anode. The cathode and/or anode contain, in the ion exchange resin, catalyst metals capable of promoting the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen gases to produce water. The catalyst metals are insulated electrically from the current collectors due to the presence of the ion exchange resin which has no electrical conductivity.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are process of preparing carbon supports coated with polyolefin or fluorinated polyolefin to be employed as a network substrate of such an electrochemical cell, in these processes, a solvent which solvates the polyolefin is employed for forming polyolefin in the shape of nearly single fibers which are the smallest unit conceivable. The carbon supports coated with the said solvated polyolefin which possesses the maximum uniformity concalvable have the maximum performance when they are employed in a gas diffusion electrode.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is solid polymer electrolyte composition comprising solid polymer electrolyte and at least one metal catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold, palladium, rhodium, iridium and ruthenium contained in the said solid polymer electrolyte. The said composition may further contain a metal oxide. The membrane made of the composition possesses the abilities of producing water by itself and of retaining the water so that the ionic conductivity and the effect of depressing the crossover is excellent. Accordingly, the cell employing the membrane possesses superior cell performance.

Abstract: Disclosed an electrode for a polymer electrolyte electrochemical cell which comprises catalyst supports carrying catalyst particles, a first solid polymer electrolyte layer insoluble in water and an organic solvent formed on the particles and a second solid polymer electrolyte layer insoluble or soluble in the organic solvent formed on part of the surface of the first solid polymer electrolyte layer and a process of preparing same.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process of preparing an ion exchange membrane which comprises adding a highly hydrophilic solvent into a solution of an ion exchange resin containing an ion exchange group on the polymer chain, placing the solution into a membrane-forming vessel and forming a membrane by removing the solvent.The ion exchange membrane prepared in accordance with the present invention exhibits the high degree of orientation so that the ionic conductivity can be elevated to provide the satisfactory cell performance.

Abstract: Disclosed is a structure for wetting a diaphragm of a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which one or more hollow paths are provided in or on the diaphragm for supplying water to the solid polymer electrolyte.According to the structure of this invention, the elevation of performances of the above cell is achieved by wetting the diaphragm at a desired level. Since the water can be supplied through the hollow paths with substantially no resistance, the amount to be supplied can be freely controlled.

Abstract: The polymer solid-electrolyte composition according to the present invention comprises a polymer solid electrolyte selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid, polysulfones, perfluorocarbonic acid, styrene-divinylbenzene sulfonic acid cation-exchange resins and styrene-butadiene anion-exchange resins, and 0.01-50% by weight of fine particle silica and/or fibrous silica fiber relative to the weight of the polymer solid electrolyte.

Abstract: Disclosed is a solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell which contains a catalyst impregnated layer in an ion exchange membrane which is electrically isolated but ion conductive. In place of the catalyst layer, catalyst particles existing in an anode and/or a cathode may be employed. The catalyst layer and the catalyst particles are attributable to the prevention of the lowering of a cell voltage and the employment of an inexpensive hydrocarbon ion exchange membrane and of a thin membrane.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process of preparing a solid polymer electrolyte type fuel cell formed by combining a cathode current collector, a cathode containing cathode particles, an ion exchange membrane, an anode containing anode particles and an anode current collector characterized by comprising reducing a catalyst metal salt in an organic solution with the solid polymer electrolyte, depositing the reduced catalyst metal in the solid polymer electrolyte to form the cathode and/or the anode, interposing the cathode and/or the anode between the respective current collectors and the ion exchange membrane and pressing for assembling the fuel cell.Also disclosed is the same process as above except that the support is present in the solid polymer electrolyte.In the fuel cells prepared in accordance with the present invention, the catalyst metal always exists in the solid polymer electrolyte, and even if a cavity is formed in the solid polymer electrolyte, the catalyst metal is not exposed to the cavity.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for preparing a reaction layer of a gas permeable electrode which comprises mixing carbon powder and a hydrophobic binding agent, hot-pressing the mixture and cooling the mixture under the hot-pressing conditions or immediately after the hot-pressing. The reaction layer prepared according to the present invention possesses connected electrolyte passages and gas passages so that all the electrolyte penetrates the electrolyte passages and all the gas penetrates the gas passages, whereby excellent contact efficiency is obtained so as to achieve improved catalyst performance.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrochemical cell having a structure of wetting diaphragm made of a solid polymer electrolyte in which at least a narrow path for supplying water to the solid polymer electrolyte is formed. According to the electrochemical cell of this invention, the elevation of performance of the above cell is contemplated by increasing ionic conductivity and excluding burdensome control of water vapor in a reaction gas by means of adding water in the solid polymer electrolyte through the narrow path.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a structure of an ion exchange membrane comprising the ion exchange membrane and at least one ion-conductive thin layer having a lower glass transition temperature than that of the ion exchange membrane on at least one surface of the membrane.According to the present invention, an electrochemical cell can be formed of which an ion exchange membrane and electrodes may be sufficiently bonded to maximize the cell performance.

Abstract: Disclosed are processes of preparing an electrode for a fuel cell which comprises impregnating catalyst particles with a solution of ion exchange resin to form, after drying, a thin layer of the ion exchange resin on the surface thereof, impregnating non-catalyst particles separately prepared with a solution of ion exchange resin to form, after drying, a thicker layer of the ion exchange resin on the surface thereof than that on the catalyst particle surface, mixing the two kinds of particles coated with the ion exchange resin film with a hydrophobic binder, forming a sheet-like catalyst layer by means of hot pressing or cold pressing and thermally bonding this sheet-like catalyst layer and an ion exchange membrane under pressure. The last thermal bonding step may be simultaneously carried out with the previous catalyst layer forming step.

Abstract: A process for preparing hydrophobic material is disclosed which comprises applying a hydrocarbon polymer compound solution to the surface of material to be treated, vaporizing the solvent of the solution, and then fluorinating the polymer compound to coat the surface of the material to be treated with the fluorinated polymer compound.