JPH04233163A - Electrode structure - Google Patents

Electrode structure

Info

Publication number
JPH04233163A
JPH04233163A JP2409336A JP40933690A JPH04233163A JP H04233163 A JPH04233163 A JP H04233163A JP 2409336 A JP2409336 A JP 2409336A JP 40933690 A JP40933690 A JP 40933690A JP H04233163 A JPH04233163 A JP H04233163A
Authority
JP
Japan
Prior art keywords
electrode
porous
collector
film
current collector
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Pending
Application number
JP2409336A
Other languages
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
Masashi Nakamura
正志 中村
Hitoshi Dogoshi
堂腰 仁
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Aisin AW Co Ltd
Original Assignee
Aisin AW Co Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Aisin AW Co Ltd filed Critical Aisin AW Co Ltd
Priority to JP2409336A priority Critical patent/JPH04233163A/en
Publication of JPH04233163A publication Critical patent/JPH04233163A/en
Pending legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • YGENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02EREDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
    • Y02E60/00Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
    • Y02E60/30Hydrogen technology
    • Y02E60/50Fuel cells

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the inner resistance and put it in compact structure by providing a conductive film as a collector. CONSTITUTION:A porous electrode 2 is coated with a metallic film so as to make a meshy film collector 7, and the film is made to byte into inside of the porous substance of an electrode. Hereby, the contact area with the carbon particles inside the electrode becomes large, and the contact resistance between the collector and the porous electrode can be reduced. What is more, the thickness of the collector itself can be thinned, and it becomes compact structure.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】[Detailed description of the invention]

【0001】0001

【産業上の利用分野】本発明は、化学反応により発生し
た電気を集電するための燃料電池や各種センサーに用い
られる電極に関する。
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electrodes used in fuel cells and various sensors for collecting electricity generated by chemical reactions.

【0002】0002

【従来の技術】従来、化学反応により発生した電気を集
電するための電極としては、例えば、■燃料電池の電極
に集電体である金網(通常、開口率80%程度、JIS
−M15)をホットプレスにより埋め込んだもので、カ
ーボン粉末、PTFE粉末、白金触媒等の電極材料を混
ぜて成形した親水性の反応層と、カーボン粉末、PTF
E粉末とからなる疏水性のガス拡散層とからなる電極に
金網を金型に置きホットプレスにより焼成したものであ
る。このような技術として、例えば、特公昭62−15
4571号公報に記載されるものがあった。
[Prior Art] Conventionally, as an electrode for collecting electricity generated by a chemical reaction, for example, ① a wire mesh (usually with an aperture ratio of about 80%, JIS
-M15) embedded by hot pressing, and a hydrophilic reaction layer formed by mixing electrode materials such as carbon powder, PTFE powder, and platinum catalyst, and carbon powder and PTF.
A wire mesh was placed in a mold on an electrode consisting of a hydrophobic gas diffusion layer made of E powder and fired by hot pressing. As such technology, for example,
There was one described in Publication No. 4571.

【0003】■さらに特開昭63−236268号公報
に示されるように、燃料電池の集電電極であるセパレー
タを燃料電池の電極に圧接したものがあった。図5は前
記従来技術のセパレータと電極の圧接体を示している。
[0003]Furthermore, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 63-236268, there is a fuel cell in which a separator, which is a current collecting electrode, is pressed into contact with the electrode of the fuel cell. FIG. 5 shows a press-contact body of a separator and an electrode according to the prior art.

【0004】0004

【発明が解決しようとする課題】従来、燃料電池を用い
て所望の電圧を発生させるのに単位電池を必要個数積層
して大きな電圧を得ていた。また単位電池の面積によっ
て所望の電流値を発生させていた。そのようにして、電
池の出力電流が大きくなると単位電池自身が持つ内部抵
抗によって、出力電圧が低下するという問題があった。
Conventionally, in order to generate a desired voltage using a fuel cell, a required number of unit cells were stacked to obtain a large voltage. Furthermore, a desired current value was generated depending on the area of the unit battery. In this way, when the output current of the battery increases, there is a problem in that the output voltage decreases due to the internal resistance of the unit battery itself.

【0005】ところで、前記■の電極構造体の電極は多
孔質状になっており、多孔質状の電極体と平板状の金網
との接触状態は、電極が多孔質であるゆえ十分なもので
はなく接触抵抗が大きかった。またこの電極構造体は荷
重がかかると金網が反応性電極と微細に離れて、集電抵
抗を増す原因になっていた。さらに、この電極構造体を
作製するのには400Kg/cm2 、350℃程度で
ホットプレスする必要があり、作業が厄介であった。ま
た、集電効率をあげるために集電体である金網の網目を
細かくすると、マイクロメッシュにすると集電体が高価
になってしまう。さらに、金網自体は凹凸性の平面であ
るため、金網と電極をホットプレスした場合、得られた
電極構造体は平面性が十分なものではなく、従って、電
極の凹部ではメタノールが透過しやすくなり、また凸部
では内部抵抗が大きくなり、欠陥の出やすい電極となっ
ていた。
[0005] By the way, the electrode of the electrode structure (2) is porous, and the contact between the porous electrode body and the flat wire mesh is not sufficient because the electrode is porous. The contact resistance was large. Furthermore, when a load is applied to this electrode structure, the wire mesh separates minutely from the reactive electrode, causing an increase in current collection resistance. Furthermore, in order to produce this electrode structure, hot pressing at about 400 kg/cm 2 and about 350° C. was required, which made the work complicated. Furthermore, if the mesh of the wire mesh that is the current collector is made finer in order to increase the current collection efficiency, the current collector becomes expensive if it is made into a micromesh. Furthermore, since the wire mesh itself has an uneven flat surface, when the wire mesh and electrode are hot-pressed, the resulting electrode structure does not have sufficient flatness, and therefore methanol easily permeates through the recesses of the electrode. Furthermore, the internal resistance increases at the convex portions, making the electrode prone to defects.

【0006】また、前記■の電極構造体は、集電体を大
きな力で電極に圧接しないと接触抵抗が大になるので、
作業が困難であった。さらに、集電体に溝加工が施され
ているので、その作製も困難であった。またさらに、集
電体自体の厚みが電極に比べてかなりあるので、多数の
電池を連結してセルスタックとするにはあまりにも厚く
なりすぎて、燃料電池をコンパクト化することができな
かった。
[0006] In addition, in the electrode structure (2), the contact resistance becomes large unless the current collector is pressed against the electrode with a large force.
The work was difficult. Furthermore, since the current collector is grooved, it is also difficult to manufacture it. Furthermore, since the current collector itself is considerably thicker than the electrodes, it becomes too thick to connect a large number of cells to form a cell stack, making it impossible to make the fuel cell compact.

【0007】そこで、本発明は、集合電池とした場合に
できるだけ抵抗の少なく、かつ自動車等のごく限られた
空間で使用可能なコンパクトな構造となる燃料電池の電
極構造体を提供することを目的とする。
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrode structure for a fuel cell that has as little resistance as possible when used as an assembled battery and has a compact structure that can be used in extremely limited spaces such as automobiles. shall be.

【0008】[0008]

【課題を解決するための手段】前記問題点を解決するた
めに、本発明は、多孔質電極に網状薄膜体を集電体とし
て設けた電極構造体としたものである。
[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an electrode structure in which a porous electrode is provided with a reticulated thin film as a current collector.

【0009】[0009]

【作用】本発明の網状薄膜体は、図1及び図2に模式的
に拡大して示すように多孔質状の電極上に蒸着またはス
パッタリングにより薄膜を形成したものであるから、そ
の薄膜は電極の多孔質内部にまで食い込み、電極内部の
カーボン粒子との接触面積が大となるので集電体と多孔
質電極との接触抵抗は少なくなる。
[Function] As shown schematically and enlarged in FIGS. 1 and 2, the reticular thin film body of the present invention is a thin film formed on a porous electrode by vapor deposition or sputtering. It penetrates into the porous interior of the electrode, increasing the contact area with the carbon particles inside the electrode, thereby reducing the contact resistance between the current collector and the porous electrode.

【0010】0010

【実施例】図1及び図2は本発明の電極構造体の蒸着部
分を拡大した模式図である。図1はその平面図、図2は
図1のA−A′の切断図を示す。多孔質電極2上に真空
蒸着、スパッタリングまたはイオンプレーティング等の
薄膜形成技術により金属の薄膜がコーティングがされて
網目状の薄膜集電体7を形成している。
EXAMPLE FIGS. 1 and 2 are enlarged schematic diagrams of the vapor deposition portion of the electrode structure of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 2 is a cutaway view taken along line A-A' in FIG. A thin metal film is coated on the porous electrode 2 by a thin film forming technique such as vacuum deposition, sputtering, or ion plating to form a mesh-like thin film current collector 7.

【0011】次に、本発明の電極構造体の製造方法を説
明する。カーボン粉末、PTFE粉末、白金触媒等の電
極材料を混ぜて形成した反応層と、カーボン粉末、PT
FE粉末とからなる正充水性のガス拡散層とをホットプ
レスして電極を形成した。マスク交換機能を備えた通常
の蒸着装置を用い、マスクとして図3に示す、スプライ
ト条が多数空いたシャドウマスクを前記電極の反応層側
に接触させて、このシャドウマスク面にチタンを蒸着し
た。次にシャドウマスクを90°回転して設置して再び
チタンを蒸着して網目状の、孔径1mm、厚さ30〜5
0ミクロンメートルの集電体を製膜した。
Next, a method for manufacturing the electrode structure of the present invention will be explained. A reaction layer formed by mixing electrode materials such as carbon powder, PTFE powder, and platinum catalyst, and a reaction layer formed by mixing electrode materials such as carbon powder, PTFE powder, and platinum catalyst;
An electrode was formed by hot pressing the FE powder and a positively water-filled gas diffusion layer. Using a conventional vapor deposition apparatus equipped with a mask exchange function, a shadow mask with a large number of sprite strips shown in FIG. 3 was brought into contact with the reaction layer side of the electrode, and titanium was vapor-deposited on the surface of this shadow mask. Next, the shadow mask was rotated 90 degrees and titanium was deposited again to create a mesh-like structure with a hole diameter of 1 mm and a thickness of 30 to 50 mm.
A current collector having a thickness of 0 micrometer was formed.

【0012】蒸着時に金属粒子は高エネルギー状態で電
極層2上に積層されているのでその金属は多孔質電極層
の深部まで入ることになる。従って、電極層の原材料で
ある炭素と結着状態となり良好な電気伝導を保つことに
なる。反応活物質が電極層内に到達できるためには、薄
膜コーティングされた集電網1の孔径は、それぞれの反
応活物質の分子径以上とする。通常は、1〜2mmの孔
径が用いられる。その理由は、メタノール極ではその電
極の反応層内で発生した炭酸ガスを多孔質電極の穴を通
して排出し、また、空気極では酸素をその穴を通じて取
り込まなければならないので集電網の孔径は1〜2mm
が好ましい。
Since the metal particles are deposited on the electrode layer 2 in a high energy state during vapor deposition, the metal penetrates deep into the porous electrode layer. Therefore, it becomes bound to carbon, which is the raw material of the electrode layer, and maintains good electrical conduction. In order for the reactive active material to reach the inside of the electrode layer, the pore diameter of the thin-film-coated current collection network 1 is made larger than the molecular diameter of each reactive active material. Typically, pore sizes of 1 to 2 mm are used. The reason for this is that at the methanol electrode, carbon dioxide gas generated in the reaction layer of the electrode must be exhausted through the holes in the porous electrode, and at the air electrode, oxygen must be taken in through the holes, so the pore diameter of the current collection network must be 1 to 1. 2mm
is preferred.

【0013】次に、本発明の電極構造体を液体燃料電池
に使用した例を説明する。図4は液体燃料電池の展開図
を示す。1は燃料室プレート、2は蒸着された網状薄膜
電極7を有する多孔質電極、3は燃料室プレート1と多
孔質電極2との密閉性を保つためのゴム等の弾性シール
板である。さらに、電解質層4、弾性シール板3、蒸着
された網状薄膜電極7を有する多孔質電極5、空気質プ
レート6の順に積層されて単位電池を構成している。な
お、燃料室プレート1と弾性シール板3とは予め溶着さ
れていてもよい。
Next, an example in which the electrode structure of the present invention is used in a liquid fuel cell will be explained. FIG. 4 shows a developed view of a liquid fuel cell. 1 is a fuel chamber plate; 2 is a porous electrode having a vapor-deposited reticular thin film electrode 7; and 3 is an elastic sealing plate made of rubber or the like for maintaining airtightness between the fuel chamber plate 1 and the porous electrode 2. Further, an electrolyte layer 4, an elastic seal plate 3, a porous electrode 5 having a vapor-deposited reticular thin film electrode 7, and an air quality plate 6 are laminated in this order to constitute a unit cell. Note that the fuel chamber plate 1 and the elastic seal plate 3 may be welded together in advance.

【0014】なお、本発明は、上記実施例に限定されず
、本発明の趣旨に基づいて種々の変形が可能である。 例えば、蒸着に用いる集電電極材料は上記チタンに限定
されず、タンタル、銅、銀等が使用できる。また、液体
燃料電池に限らず、気体を燃料とするものも当然適用可
能であることは言うまでもない。
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications can be made based on the spirit of the present invention. For example, the current collecting electrode material used for vapor deposition is not limited to the above-mentioned titanium, but tantalum, copper, silver, etc. can be used. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to liquid fuel cells, and can also be applied to those using gas as fuel.

【0015】[0015]

【発明の効果】以上詳細に説明したように本発明の電極
構造体によれば、多孔質電極に網状薄膜体を集電体とし
て設けたので、集電体自体を厚さ30〜50ミクロンメ
ートルと非常に薄くすることができ、単位電池を集合さ
せてせも、全体をコンパクトなものとすることができる
As described above in detail, according to the electrode structure of the present invention, the porous electrode is provided with a reticulated thin film as a current collector, so that the current collector itself has a thickness of 30 to 50 micrometers. It can be made very thin, and even if unit batteries are assembled, the whole can be made compact.

【0016】また、薄膜金属は多孔質電極層のある深部
まで入るので多孔質電極と薄膜状集電体との接触が大と
なり、その接触抵抗が小となる。
Further, since the thin metal film penetrates to a certain depth of the porous electrode layer, the contact between the porous electrode and the thin film current collector becomes large, and the contact resistance becomes small.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of the drawing]

【図1】本発明の電極を拡大した模式図である。FIG. 1 is an enlarged schematic diagram of an electrode of the present invention.

【図2】図1のA−A断面図である。FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1;

【図3】蒸着に用いるシャドウマスクを示す。FIG. 3 shows a shadow mask used for vapor deposition.

【図4】液体燃料電池の構成の展開図を示す。FIG. 4 shows a developed view of the configuration of a liquid fuel cell.

【図5】従来の電極構造体を示す。FIG. 5 shows a conventional electrode structure.

【符号の説明】[Explanation of symbols]

1      燃料室プレート 2      多孔質電極 3      燃料室プレート 4      電解質層 5      多孔質電極 6      空気室層 7      網状薄膜電極 1 Fuel chamber plate 2 Porous electrode 3 Fuel chamber plate 4 Electrolyte layer 5 Porous electrode 6 Air chamber layer 7. Reticulated thin film electrode

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] 【請求項1】  多孔質電極に網状薄膜体を集電体とし
て設けた電極構造体。
1. An electrode structure in which a porous electrode is provided with a reticulated thin film as a current collector.
JP2409336A 1990-12-28 1990-12-28 Electrode structure Pending JPH04233163A (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2409336A JPH04233163A (en) 1990-12-28 1990-12-28 Electrode structure

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
JP2409336A JPH04233163A (en) 1990-12-28 1990-12-28 Electrode structure

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
JPH04233163A true JPH04233163A (en) 1992-08-21

Family

ID=18518676

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
JP2409336A Pending JPH04233163A (en) 1990-12-28 1990-12-28 Electrode structure

Country Status (1)

Country Link
JP (1) JPH04233163A (en)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JP2005190745A (en) * 2003-12-24 2005-07-14 Mitsubishi Materials Corp Member for gas diffusion layer of solid polymer fuel cell, and its manufacturing method
JP2005209607A (en) * 2003-12-24 2005-08-04 Mitsubishi Materials Corp Gas diffusion layer member of solid polymer fuel cell and its manufacturing method
WO2006112257A1 (en) * 2005-04-14 2006-10-26 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell
JP2007525792A (en) * 2003-07-01 2007-09-06 コミサリア、ア、レネルジ、アトミク Fuel cell comprising a current collector integrated in an electrode-membrane-electrode stack
US7838172B2 (en) 2003-05-12 2010-11-23 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Composite porous body, gas diffusion layer member, cell member, and manufacturing method thereof

Cited By (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7838172B2 (en) 2003-05-12 2010-11-23 Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Composite porous body, gas diffusion layer member, cell member, and manufacturing method thereof
JP2007525792A (en) * 2003-07-01 2007-09-06 コミサリア、ア、レネルジ、アトミク Fuel cell comprising a current collector integrated in an electrode-membrane-electrode stack
JP2014029864A (en) * 2003-07-01 2014-02-13 Commissariat A L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives Fuel battery including collector integrated into electrode-membrane-electrode laminate
JP2005190745A (en) * 2003-12-24 2005-07-14 Mitsubishi Materials Corp Member for gas diffusion layer of solid polymer fuel cell, and its manufacturing method
JP2005209607A (en) * 2003-12-24 2005-08-04 Mitsubishi Materials Corp Gas diffusion layer member of solid polymer fuel cell and its manufacturing method
WO2006112257A1 (en) * 2005-04-14 2006-10-26 Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc. Membrane electrode assembly for fuel cell and fuel cell

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