Detailed Explanation of Production Process of MEA Membrane Electrode for Hydrogen Fuel Cell
The MEA membrane electrode is one of the eight core components of the hydrogen fuel cell or system, and the domestic
production of the MEA membrane electrode is crucial to reducing the cost of the entire fuel cell. Of course, there are already
some representative enterprises in China that are building their own semi-automatic or fully automatic production lines.
Based on the production process of external materials, this article analyzes and introduces everyone, making it easier
to understand.
1. Overview of MEA membrane electrode processing technology.
The process is introduced by taking the thermoelectric company method as an example.
Catalyst Composition - Catalyst DOPO Supported Polymer Membrane - Thermoelectric PEM Removal - Catalyst Polymerization Membrane
- Sealing Boundary Treatment - MEA Formation
2. Description of MEA membrane electrode sub-process
1. Preparation of catalyst slurry
1) Material preparation
Positive electrode material: about 15% by weight of Pt-C catalyst, about 40% by weight of deionized water, 40% by weight of
methanol-based organic solvent, and about 5% by weight of polyionic solution used as binders.
Negative material: about 20% by weight of Pt-C catalyst, about 35% by weight of deionized water, 35% by weight of
methanol-based organic solvent, and about 10% by weight of polyionic solution were used as binders.
2) Slurry dispersion equipment
Description: Distributed equipment can use full mixer, ball mixer, ultrasonic disperser, etc.
3) Disperse and stir, and the slurry is evenly mixed. (The difference in the composition of the yin and yang poles needs
to be processed separately)
4) Preparation process parameter control:
A. Cathode platinum load: 0.4mg/cm
B. Anode platinum load: 0.1 mm/cm
C. Dispersion and mixing time: 1h or more
E. Recommended stirring temperature: 2 degrees Celsius
F. Recommended stirring speed: 600~4000rpm
5) Factors Affecting Quality
Please stir and disperse the time, temperature and environment
6) Quality characteristics
Porosity, viscosity, uniformity of platinum distribution
Catalytic Slurry Coating and Drying
The anode and cathode catalyst slurries are respectively coated on the carrier (release membrane) and cured
1) MEA membrane electrode material preparation:
Prepared catalytic slurry, polymer film
2) Equipment: slurry spray gun or other alternative equipment (such as roller screen printing, inkjet printing,
blade coating, etc.), heating conveyor belt, IR/DC online monitoring equipment.
3) Process parameters and requirements
A. Anode film thickness: 3~15m Cathode film thickness: 10~30m
B. Supply speed: 0.1 to 1m/min
C. Drying time: about 4 minutes
D. Drying temperature: heating airflow is about 30~70 degrees. The heating roller setting is about 120~160 degrees
4) Factors Affecting Quality
A. Catalyst slurry viscosity
B. Tools or equipment used
C. Drying equipment temperature
5) Quality characteristics
A. Coating uniformity and consistency
B. Coating Thickness
C. Coating dryness
D. Particle size
3. Thermoelectric company with catalytic layer cured on PEM
Curing the catalyst layer with PEM thermal transfer
1) Material preparation:
Cathode and anode catalysts, proton exchange membrane rolls (PEM) attached to the surface of the processed polymer (membrane), respectively.
2) Equipment: conveyor belt, hot pressing roller, roller for eliminating waste polymer film. (user-defined device).
3) Process parameters and requirements
A. Linear tension: 150-250 N/cm.
B. Hot Roller Temperature: 100-170
4) Factors Affecting Quality
A. The quality of the polymer film serving as the catalyst layer (release effect, whether the catalyst layer can be peeled off normally).
B. Combination of feed speed with roller pressure and temperature (determines the subsequent effect of catalytic layer and PEM).
C. Stress period.
5) MEA membrane electrode quality characteristics
A. The polymer film does not remain.
B. The polymer film layer does not damage the catalyst layer.
C. A good catalytic layer is attached to the PEM.
