Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.

Abstract: Herein disclosed is a microcomputer MCU adopting the general purpose register method. The microcomputer is enabled to have a small program capacity or a high program memory using efficiency and a low system cost, while enjoying the advantage of simplification of the instruction decoding as in the RISC machine having a fixed length instruction format of the prior art, by adopting a fixed length instruction format having a power of 2 but a smaller bit number than that of the maximum data word length fed to instruction execution means. And, the control of the coded division is executed by noting the code bits.

Abstract: A cell assembly (10) includes a first unit cell (12) and a second unit cell (14). The first unit cell (12) and the second unit cell (14) are juxtaposed such that electrode surfaces of the first unit cell (12) and electrode surfaces of the second unit cell (14) are aligned in parallel with each other. An oxygen-containing gas flow passage (32) includes a first oxygen-containing gas passage (38) in the first unit cell (12), an oxygen-containing gas connection passage (40) in a connection passage member (16), and a second oxygen-containing gas passage (42) in the second unit cell (14). The first oxygen-containing gas passage (38), the oxygen-containing gas connection passage (40), and the second oxygen-containing gas passage (42) are connected serially from the first unit cell (12) to the second unit cell (14).

Abstract: In a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which a cathode diffusion layer, a cathode electrode catalyst layer, a polymer electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode catalyst layer, and an anode diffusion layer are laminated in this order, electron conductivity of the cathode electrode catalyst layer at a portion on the side of the cathode diffusion layer is higher than at a portion on the side of the polymer electrolyte membrane and electron conductivity of the cathode electrode catalyst layer at the portion on the side of the polymer electrolyte membrane is lower than at the portion on the side of the cathode diffusion layer, and furthermore, electron conductivity of the anode electrode catalyst layer at a portion on the side of the anode diffusion layer is higher than at a portion on the side of the polymer electrolyte membrane and electron conductivity of the anode electrode catalyst layer at the portion on the side of the polymer electrolyte membrane is lower than at the portion on the side of the anode diffusio

Abstract: A membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell has superior power generation characteristics under low humidity conditions and superior starting characteristics under low temperature conditions. In the membrane electrode assembly for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell in which a polymer electrolyte membrane is disposed between a pair of electrodes containing a catalyst, the polymer electrolyte membrane has a polymer segment A having an ion conductive component and a polymer segment B not having an ion conductive component. Furthermore, in the case in which the polymer electrolyte membrane is immersed in water at 90° C. for 30 minutes, absorbed water which exhibits a thawing temperature of from ?30 to 0° C. is in a range from 0.01 to 3.0 g per 1 g of the polymer.

Abstract: A composite polymer electrolyte membrane is formed from a first polymer electrolyte comprising a sulfonated polyarytene polymer and a second polymer electrolyte comprising another hydrocarbon polymer electrolyte. In the first polymer electrolyte, 2-70 mol % constitutes an aromatic compound unit with an electron-attractive group in its principal chain, while 30-98 mol % constitutes an aromatic compound unit without an electron-attractive group in its principal chain. The second polymer electrolyte is a sulfonated polyether or sulfonated polysulfide polymer electrolyte.

Abstract: A polymer electrolyte membrane obtained by subjecting a sulfonated polyarylene membrane having an initial water content of 80-300 weight % to a hot-water treatment. A composite polymer electrolyte membrane comprising a matrix made of a first sulfonated aromatic polymer having a high ion exchange capacity, and a reinforcing material constituted by a second sulfonated aromatic polymer having a low ion exchange capacity in the form of fibers or a porous membrane.

Abstract: The invention provides a proton conductive membrane which, even when reduced in thickness, does not allow penetration of an electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes and which permits sufficient generating performance. A proton conductive composition capable of forming the membrane is also provided. The proton conductive composition includes a nonconductive filler and a polyarylene having a sulfonic group. The proton conductive membrane, comprising the composition, contains the nonconductive filler in an amount of 3 to 50% by volume, and the nonconductive filler particles have diameters ranging from 3 to 90% the thickness of the membrane.

Abstract: The present invention provides a proton conductive membrane having capabilities of self-generating water and maintaining water, excellent ion conductivity and excellent effect of inhibiting crossover and usable for solid polymer electrolyte type fuel cells and also provides a proton conductive composition used for preparing the proton conductive membrane. The proton conductive composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a polyarylene having a sulfonic group and 0.01 to 80 parts by weight of at least one metal catalyst selected from the group consisting of platinum, gold, palladium, rhodium, iridium and ruthenium, or comprises 100 parts by weight of a polyarylene having a sulfonic group, 0.01 to 80 parts by weight of the metal catalyst, and 0.01 to 50 parts by weight of metal oxide fine particles and/or fibers in total.

Abstract: A proton conductive membrane exhibiting superior proton conductivity even at high temperatures of 100° C. or above, and a proton conductive composition capable of forming the membrane are provided. The invention also provides a proton conductive membrane showing excellent proton conductivity even if it does not have an increased amount of the sulfonic groups introduced therein, and a proton conductive composition capable of forming the membrane. The proton conductive composition includes (a) at least one compound selected from a metal oxide hydrate, a phyllosilicate and a hygroscopic inorganic porous compound, and (b) a polyarylene having a sulfonic group.

Abstract: Disclosed is a membrane-electrode structure for a solid polymer fuel cell comprising a pair of electrode catalyst layers and a polyeletrolyte membrane sandwiched between the electrode catalyst layers, wherein the electrode catalyst layers contain polyarylene having a sulfonic acid group, said polyarylene comprising a recurring unit represented by the following formula (A) and a recurring unit represented by the following formula (B); wherein Y is a direct bonding or a group selected from a divalent electron withdrawing group and a divalent electron donating group, Ar is a mononuclear or polynuclear aromatic group, m is an integer of 0 to 10, k is an integer of 0 to 5, l is an integer of 0 to 4, and k+1?1; wherein R1 to R8 are each a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, an alkyl group, a fluorine-substituted alkyl group, an aryl group or an allyl group, W is a divalent electron withdrawing group or a direct bonding, T is a direct bonding, a divalent electron withdrawing group, a divalent electron donating

Abstract: A process of producing an electrode paste having excellent storage stability and capable of forming a catalyst layer that has a sufficient pore volume for high generating performance, and an electrode paste composition having such properties are disclosed. The process comprises mixing and agitating carbon black supporting a catalyst metal, a polymer electrolyte, an organic solvent and at least either carbon fiber or water thereby to finely disperse the carbon black to a predetermined mean particle diameter of particles dispersed in the mixed solution, and admixing a dispersant to the mixed solution and agitating the resultant mixture to obtain an electrode paste in which particles having a predetermined mean particle diameter are uniformly dispersed.

Abstract: A solid polymer fuel cell (1) has an electrolyte membrane (2), and an air electrode (3) and a fuel electrode (4) that closely contact to opposite sides of the electrolyte membrane (2) respectively. The electrolyte membrane (2) has a membrane core (9) comprising a polymer ion-exchange component, and a plurality of phyllosilicate particles (10) that disperse in the membrane core (9) and are subjected to ion-exchange processing between metal ions and protons, and proton conductance Pc satisfies Pc>0.05 S/cm. Owing to this, it is possible to provide the solid polymer fuel cell equipped with the electrolyte membrane (2) that has excellent high-temperature strength and can improve power-generating performance.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode structure for a polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a pair of electrode catalyst layers 1, 1 and a polymer electrolyte membrane 2 held between the electrode catalyst layers 1, 1. The polymer electrolyte membrane 2 is a sulfonation product of a polymer, which comprises a main chain, wherein two or more divalent aromatic residues are bound to one another directly or through oxy groups or divalent groups other than aromatic residues, and side chains comprising aromatic groups to be sulfonated. Provided that the number of divalent aromatic residues comprised in the main chain of the above polymer is denoted by X, and the number of oxy groups comprised in the main chain of the above polymer is denoted by Y, the value X/Y is within the range of from 2.0 to 9.0.

Abstract: The present invention provides an electrode structure having a pair of electrode catalyst layers and a polymer electrolyte membrane held between both the electrode catalyst layers. The polymer electrolyte membrane contains 5% or more by weight of the water coordinated to protons of sulfonic acid groups. The polymer electrolyte membrane comprises a fluorine-containing ion conducting polymer. The ratio of the fluorine content in the above polymer electrolyte membrane to the fluorine content in the above electrode catalyst layer is within the range of from 0.2 to 2.0. The polymer electrolyte membrane is a sulfonate of a copolymer general formulas (1) and (2). The electrode catalyst layer contains platinum within the range of from 0.01 to 0.8 mg/cm2, and the average particle diameter of a carbon particle as a carrier is within the range of from 10 to 100 nm. The polymer electrolyte membrane is produced by forming a membrane from the above sulfonate solution and drying the obtained membrane.

Abstract: Anodes are provided on a porous resin film, a polymer electrolyte membrane is provided on the anodes, and cathodes are provided on the polymer electrolyte membrane to form a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies as power generation units.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which is inexpensive and has an excellent efficiency of generating electric power, by using a material alternative to a perfluoroalkylene sulfonic acid polymer. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a pair of electrodes (2, 3) consisting of an oxygen electrode (2) and a fuel electrode (3) both having a catalyst layer (5) containing a catalyst and an ion conducting material; and a polymer electrolyte membrane (1) sandwiched between the two catalyst layers (5) of the both electrodes (2, 3).

Abstract: A proton conductive composition comprises a heteropolyacid and a polyarylene having a sulfonic group. The composition has good water resistance and toughness, and shows an excellent proton conductivity without any treatment to increase the acid concentration in the sulfonated polyarylene. A proton conductive membrane is also provided that is derived from the composition.

Abstract: A solid polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell electrode catalyst layer comprises Pt particles carried on a carbon carrier and a solid polymer electrolyte, wherein a center-to-center distance dimension (Lpt−pt) between the Pt particles carried on the carbon carrier is made to substantially coincide with the sum of a double of a total dimension resulting by adding the length (Lpes) of a side chain having an ion-exchange group to the diameter (Dpem) of a main chain of the solid polymer electrolyte and the diameter (Dpt) of the Pt particle.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polymer electrolyte fuel cell, which comprises: a pair of electrodes 2 and 3 both having a catalyst layer 5, where catalyst particles consisting of a catalyst carrier and a catalyst supported by the carrier are integrated by an ion-conductive polymer binder; and a polymer electrolyte membrane 1 sandwiched between the electrodes 2 and 3 on their sides having the catalyst layer 5. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises: the polymer electrolyte membrane 1 having a coefficient of dynamic viscoelasticity at 110° C. in a range of 1×109 to 1×1011 Pa; and the catalyst layer 5 made of the ion-conductive polymer binder having a coefficient of dynamic viscoelasticity at 110° C. smaller than the polymer electrolyte membrane 1. The polymer electrolyte fuel cell further comprises a buffer layer 6, comprising an ion-conductive material having a coefficient of dynamic viscoelasticity at 110° C.