Abstract: A membrane-membrane reinforcing member assembly includes: a polymer electrolyte membrane (1) having a substantially square shape; a pair of membrane-like first membrane reinforcing members (10a) disposed on one main surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane (1) so as to extend along a pair of opposed sides, respectively, of four sides of said one main surface; and a pair of membrane-like second membrane reinforcing members (10b) disposed on another main surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane (1) so as to extend along a pair of opposed sides, respectively, of four sides of said another main surface, wherein: portions of the polymer electrolyte membrane (1) at which portions the first membrane reinforcing members (10a, 10a) and the second membrane reinforcing members (10b, 10b) are disposed are concave; and the first membrane reinforcing members (10a, 10a) and the second membrane reinforcing members (10b, 10b) are disposed such that main surfaces thereof are exposed, and the first membrane reinforcing me

Abstract: A membrane membrane-reinforcement-member assembly, membrane catalyst-layer assembly, membrane electrode assembly, and polymer electrolyte fuel cell are provided, which are so configured as to ensure sufficient durability and a cost reduction in unit cells and be suited for mass production. To this end, a membrane membrane-reinforcement-member assembly (20) of a membrane catalyst-layer assembly (30) provided in an MEA (5) of a cell (100) has a polymer electrolyte membrane (1), a pair of first membrane reinforcement members (10a) and a pair of second membrane reinforcement members (10b) which members (10a), (10b) are embedded in the polymer electrolyte membrane (1) such that their main surfaces are not exposed therefrom. The first and second membrane reinforcement members (10a), (10b) are embedded in a parallelogrammatic fashion so as to overlap each other in the four corners of the polymer electrolyte membrane (1) when viewed in a thickness direction of the polymer electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a membrane-electrode assembly of the present invention includes: a reinforcing member disposing step of disposing a reinforcing member (104A, 104B), whose frame portion is formed to surround an opening of the reinforcing member, on a polymer electrolyte membrane (102) such that the frame portion covers a peripheral portion of at least one surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane; a catalyst layer applying step of applying a coating of a catalyst layer (109A, 109B) on at least an entire surface of the polymer electrolyte membrane (102) which surface is exposed from the opening of the reinforcing member (104A, 104B); and a gas diffusion layer disposing step of disposing a gas diffusion layer (114A, 114B) such that the gas diffusion layer covers the catalyst layer (109A, 109B).

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst-coated membrane and a membrane-electrode assembly that can easily and surely achieve a polymer electrolyte fuel cell having excellent durability, in which the decomposition/degradation of a polymer electrolyte membrane can be suppressed, and a decrease in initial characteristics can be prevented sufficiently for a long period of time even when the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is frequently started and stopped. In the catalyst-coated membrane that includes an anode catalyst layer, a cathode catalyst layer, and a hydrogen ion conductive polymer electrolyte membrane interposed between the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer, a peripheral area of at least one of the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer is provided with a decrease portion in which the mass of the electrode catalyst per unit area of the catalyst layer decreases from the inner side toward the outer side.

Abstract: A membrane-membrane reinforcing member assembly (1) of the present invention includes: a polymer electrolyte membrane (10) having a pair of first main surface (F1) and second main surface (F2) which face each other and each has a substantially rectangular shape; a pair of first membrane reinforcing members 22 and 24 which are disposed on portions, respectively, extending along a pair of opposed sides of four sides of the first main surface (F1), each has a main surface smaller than the first main surface (F1) and each has a film shape; and a pair of second membrane reinforcing members (26) and (28) which are disposed on portions, respectively, extending along a pair of opposed sides of four sides of the second main surface (F2), each has a main surface smaller than the second main surface (F2) and each has a film shape, wherein the pair of first membrane reinforcing members (22) and (24) and the pair of second membrane reinforcing members (26) and (28) are disposed so as to extend along four sides as a whole,