JP2007095464A - Method of manufacturing electrolyte structure - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of manufacturing an electrolyte structure capable of suppressing the peeling off of a catalyst material from an electrolyte membrane and a warpage of the electrolyte membrane. <P>SOLUTION: The method of manufacturing the electrolyte structure comprises a preparing step 11 of preparing a membrane-attached substrate having the electrolyte membrane on one side of a substrate, a tape sticking step 12 of sticking a peeling-off preventing tape to between the edge of the electrolyte membrane and the substrate in order to prevent the peeling off of the electrolyte membrane from the substrate, a first coating step 14 of obtaining the membrane-attached substrate by applying a first catalyst material to the front of the electrolyte membrane pressed down with the peeling-off preventing tape, a substrate removing step 15 of obtaining a one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane by removing the substrate from the catalyst-attached substrate, a reversing step 16 of reversing up and down the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane, and a second coating step 18 of obtaining the electrolyte structure in which the catalyst material is attached on both sides of the electrolyte membrane by applying a second catalyst material to the back of the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an improvement in a method for producing an electrolyte structure that suppresses peeling of an electrolyte membrane from a membrane-coated substrate formed by forming an electrolyte membrane on the surface of the substrate.

  In recent years, fuel cells with electrolyte structures have the characteristics that they operate at low temperatures, have high output density, and can be miniaturized. Therefore, they are expected to be applied to in-vehicle power supplies, and their research and development are actively conducted. It has been broken.

  An electrolyte structure of a fuel cell is a laminate formed by forming an electrolyte membrane and a catalyst material on the surface of a base material, and it is important to establish a technique for producing this electrolyte structure in a homogeneous, inexpensive and mass production manner. Is growing.

Conventionally, a manufacturing method of an electrolyte structure in which a catalyst material is transferred to a substrate with a film formed by forming an electrolyte membrane on the surface of the substrate has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-196070 (FIG. 1)

Patent document 1 is demonstrated based on the following figure.
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a basic configuration of a conventional technique. An electrolyte structure manufacturing apparatus 100 includes an unwinding roller 102 for unwinding an electrolyte membrane 101 and a catalyst supporting film 104 for supporting a catalyst material 103 on one surface. An unwinding roller 105, heating and pressure rollers 107 and 107, a peeling roller 109, a winding roller 112 for winding the catalyst-attached electrolyte film 111, and a winding roller 113 for winding the peeled film 108 are provided. Then, after the electrolyte membrane 101 and the catalyst supporting film 104 are integrated by the heated and pressurized rollers 107 and 107, the catalyst material 103 is removed from the film 108 by the peeling roller 109 to obtain the catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane 111. is there.

However, since the electrolyte membrane 101 is rich in moisture absorption and water repellency, when the moisture is absorbed or dehumidified in a large amount, the amount that the electrolyte 101 expands or contracts increases.
By absorbing or dehumidifying a large amount of moisture, the catalyst material 103 integrated on the electrolyte membrane 101 is peeled off, the electrolyte membrane 101 is warped, or the catalyst material 103 on the electrolyte membrane 101 is wrinkled. Problems such as remain.
It is desired to suppress the peeling of the catalyst material 103, the generation of wrinkles and the warp of the electrolyte membrane 101.

  Then, this invention makes it a subject to provide the manufacturing method of the electrolyte structure which can suppress peeling of the catalyst material from an electrolyte membrane, and the curvature of an electrolyte membrane.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a preparation step of preparing a membrane-coated substrate formed by forming an electrolyte membrane on one side of the substrate, and an edge of the electrolyte membrane to prevent the electrolyte membrane from peeling from the substrate. A tape application step of attaching an anti-peeling tape between the base materials, a first application step of obtaining a base material with a catalyst by applying a first catalyst material to the front surface of the electrolyte membrane pressed by the anti-peeling tape, A base material removing step of obtaining a single-sided catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane by removing the base material from the catalyst-attached base material, a reversing step of inverting the single-sided catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane, and a second catalyst on the back surface of the single-sided catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane And a second coating step of obtaining an electrolyte structure in which a catalyst material is attached to both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane.

  The invention according to claim 2 provides a trim step for cutting the edge of the film-coated substrate between the tape applying step and the first coating step to obtain a reference line, and between the reversing step and the second coating step. A positioning step for positioning the single-sided catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane with respect to the reference line is provided.

  In the invention according to claim 1, in the tape applying step, since the peeling prevention tape is applied between the edge of the electrolyte membrane and the base material, the adhesive strength of the edge of the electrolyte membrane to the base material can be greatly improved. Moreover, peeling of the electrolyte membrane from the membrane-coated substrate can be suppressed.

  Since the adhesion strength of the edge of the electrolyte membrane to the substrate is greatly improved by the peeling prevention tape, even if the electrolyte membrane absorbs moisture or dehumidifies and expands or contracts when the first catalyst material is applied, the substrate And the electrolyte membrane is less likely to be distorted, and the electrolyte membrane can be prevented from warping.

  In the invention which concerns on Claim 2, since the trim process which obtains the reference line of a base material with a film | membrane was provided, a reference | standard can be added to a member with a film | membrane. In addition, since the positioning step for positioning the electrolyte membrane is provided, the electrolyte membrane can be easily positioned using the reference formed in the trim step, and a predetermined amount of the front and back surfaces of the electrolyte membrane can be determined. There is an advantage that the catalyst material can be applied to the position easily and accurately.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are viewed in the direction of the reference numerals.

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a preparation process of a film-coated substrate according to the present invention. A film-coated member 23 formed by forming an electrolyte film 22 on the surface of a substrate 21 is in the form of a roll-shaped roll member 24. The film-fitted member 23 is prepared by unwinding the roll member 24.
That is, in the preparation step 11, a film-coated base material 23 formed by forming the electrolyte membrane 22 on one side 21 a of the base material 21 is prepared.

The electrolyte membrane 22 formed on the one surface 21 a of the substrate 21 is continuously arranged in the unwinding direction of the roll member 24.
The length in the width direction of the electrolyte membrane 22 is smaller than the width of the substrate 21.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a tape application process for attaching the edge of the electrolyte membrane with a peeling prevention tape. The tape application process 12 includes a pair of application rollers 27 and 27 (the lower application roller 27 is not shown). The film-attached base material 23 and the left and right peeling prevention tapes 31 and 31 are passed between the sticking rollers 27 and 27, and the pair of sticking rollers 27 and 27 attach the peeling prevention tapes 31 and 31 to the film-forming base material 23. It is to paste.

  That is, in the tape attaching step 12, the anti-peeling tapes 31, 31 are attached between the edges 22 b, 22 b of the electrolyte membrane 22 and the base material 21 in order to prevent the electrolyte membrane 22 from peeling from the base material 21.

FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining a trim process for obtaining a reference line by cutting an edge of a film-coated substrate.
The trimming step 13 can move up and down along the lower mold 34 that supports the lower surface 33 of the film-coated base material 23, the upper mold 36 that holds the upper surface 35 of the film-coated base material 23, and the outer surface 37 of the upper mold 36. The base material with a film 23 provided with a cutting blade portion 38 to be provided, the anti-peeling tapes 31, 31 affixed on the lower die 34, is pressed by the upper die 36, and the cutting blade portion 38 is lowered to lower the base material 23 with the film The reference line 41 is obtained by cutting the edge 39.
That is, in the trim process 13, the edge 39 of the film-coated substrate 23 is cut between the tape application process 12 (see FIG. 2) and the first application process 14 (see FIG. 3) to obtain the reference line 41.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a first coating process for obtaining a base material with catalyst by applying a first catalyst material to the front surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a reference line 41 of the base material with film 23 is defined as a first positioning member. 42, the application position of the first catalyst material 43 is positioned, and the first catalyst material 43 is applied to the front surface 44 of the electrolyte membrane 22.
That is, in the first application step 14, the first catalyst material 43 is applied to the front surface 44 of the electrolyte membrane 22 pressed by the peeling prevention tape 31 to obtain the substrate 47 with catalyst.

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a base material removing step for removing the base material from the base material with catalyst and an inversion step for vertically inverting the electrolyte membrane with one side catalyst.
The base material removing step 15 includes, for example, a base material peeling roller and a base material take-up roller (not shown), feeds the base material 47 with catalyst, and peels the base material 21 from the base material 47 with catalyst by the base material peeling roller. The substrate 21 can be removed by winding the substrate 21 with a substrate winding roller (not shown) to obtain the electrolyte membrane 46 with one side catalyst.
In the reversing step 16, for example, by interposing a reversing roller (not shown), the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane 46 can be easily reversed.

  That is, in the base material removal step 15, the base material 21 is removed from the base material 47 with catalyst to obtain the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane 46. In the reversing step 16, the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane 46 is turned upside down.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a positioning step for positioning the electrolyte membrane with a single-side catalyst.
The positioning step 17 includes the second positioning member 51, and the reference line 41 of the inverted single-sided catalyst electrolyte membrane 46 is applied to the second positioning member 51 to position the single-sided catalyst electrolyte membrane 46.
In the positioning step 17, the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane 46 is positioned based on the reference line 41 between the inversion step 16 (see FIG. 5) and the second coating step 18 (see FIG. 7).

  A trim step 13 for obtaining the reference line 41 of the film-coated substrate 23 is provided between the tape application step 12 (see FIG. 2) and the first application step 14 (see FIG. 4), and the inversion step 16 and the second application step. Since the positioning step 17 for positioning the electrolyte membrane 22 with respect to the reference line 41 is provided between the first coating step 14 and the second coating step 18, the electrolyte membrane 22 is positioned in each step. Can do.

  By positioning the electrolyte membrane 22 in each of the first coating step 14 and the second coating step 18, the catalyst material 43 can be easily and accurately positioned at predetermined positions on the front surface 44 and the back surface 45 of the electrolyte membrane 22. Can be applied.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a second coating process in which a second catalyst material is applied to the back surface of the electrolyte membrane to obtain an electrolyte structure. The reference line 41 of the membrane-coated substrate 23 is applied to the second positioning member 51. Thus, the application position of the second catalyst material 43 is positioned, and the second catalyst material 53 is applied to the back surface 45 of the electrolyte membrane 22.

  That is, in the second coating step 18, the second catalyst material 53 is applied to the back surface 52 of the electrolyte membrane 46 with one side catalyst to obtain the electrolyte structure 60 in which the catalyst material is attached to both surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 22.

FIG. 8 is a manufacturing flow diagram of an electrolyte structure according to the present invention.
First, in the preparation step 11, a substrate 23 with a film (see FIG. 1) is prepared, and then in the tape application step 12, the separation between the edge 22b of the electrolyte membrane 22 (see FIG. 2) and the substrate 21 is prevented. The tape 31 is affixed, the trim line 13 cuts the edge of the film-coated substrate 23 (see FIG. 3) to obtain the reference line 41, and the first coating process 14 has the electrolyte membrane 22 (see FIG. 4). The first catalyst material 43 is applied to the surface 44, the base material 21 is removed from the base material 47 with catalyst (see FIG. 5) in the base material removal step 15, and the electrolyte membrane 22 (see FIG. 5) in the inversion step 16. In the positioning step 17, the electrolyte membrane 22 is positioned based on the reference line 41 (see FIG. 6). Finally, in the second coating step 18, the back surface of the electrolyte membrane 22 (see FIG. 7) 52, the second catalyst material 53 is applied to the electrolyte structure Get a 0.

The operation of the present invention will be described.
Returning to FIG. 2, a tape applying step of attaching the edge of the electrolyte membrane 22 to the base material 21 with the anti-peeling tape 31 between the step of preparing the base material with film 23 and the step of applying the first catalyst material 43. 12, the adhesive strength of the edge 22b of the electrolyte membrane 22 to the base material 21 can be greatly improved, and the electrolyte membrane 22 can be prevented from peeling off from the base material 21.

  Since the adhesion strength of the edge 22b of the electrolyte membrane 22 to the base material 21 is greatly improved, the electrolyte membrane 22 absorbs moisture and expands when the first catalyst material 43 is applied, and the base material 21 and the electrolyte membrane 22 Even when stress is generated in the meantime, the peeling prevention tape 31 supports the electrolyte membrane 22, so that peeling of the electrolyte membrane 22 from the substrate 21, warping of the electrolyte membrane 22, and the like can be prevented.

  In addition, if the peeling prevention tapes 31, 31 can be used instead of the base material 21, after the first catalyst material 43 is applied to the front surface 44 (see FIG. 5) of the electrolyte membrane 22, the electrolyte membrane 22 can be continuously supplied to the second application step 18 (see FIG. 7) in which the second catalyst material 43 is applied to the back surface 45.

  As a result, the catalyst materials 43 and 53 can be applied to the front surface 44 and the back surface 45 of the electrolyte membrane 22 in one line, reducing the manufacturing cost of the electrolyte structure 60 and reducing the necessary line space. be able to.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another embodiment of FIG. 1, and a membrane-attached member 23 </ b> B formed by forming an electrolyte membrane 22 </ b> B (... indicates a plurality) on the surface of a substrate 21 is a roll-shaped roll. It is supplied in the form of a member 24B, and the film-coated member 23B is prepared by unwinding the roll member 24B.
The difference from FIG. 1 is that the electrolyte membranes 22B formed on one surface 21a of the base material 21 are intermittently arranged in the unwinding direction of the roll member 24B.

  It should be noted that the trimming step and the positioning step may be omitted depending on the production amount.

  The present invention is suitable for manufacturing an electrolyte structure for a fuel cell.

It is a figure explaining the preparation process of the base material with a film concerning the present invention. It is a figure explaining the tape sticking process of sticking the edge of an electrolyte membrane with a peeling prevention tape. It is a figure explaining the trim process which cut | disconnects the edge of a base material with a film, and obtains a reference line. It is a figure explaining the 1st application | coating process which apply | coats a 1st catalyst material to the front surface of an electrolyte membrane, and obtains a base material with a catalyst. It is a figure explaining the base material removal process which removes a base material from a base material with a catalyst, and the inversion process which reverses the electrolyte membrane with a single-sided catalyst upside down. It is a figure explaining the positioning process which positions the electrolyte membrane with a single-sided catalyst. It is a figure explaining the 2nd application | coating process which apply | coats a 2nd catalyst material to the back surface of an electrolyte membrane, and obtains an electrolyte structure. It is a manufacturing flow figure of the electrolyte structure concerning the present invention. It is another Example figure of FIG. It is a figure explaining the basic composition of the conventional technology.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Preparatory process, 12 ... Tape sticking process, 13 ... Trim process, 14 ... 1st application process, 15 ... Substrate removal process, 16 ... Inversion process, 17 ... Positioning process, 18 ... 2nd application process, 19 ... Film Base material with 21 ... Base material, 22, 22B ... Electrolyte membrane, 22b ... Edge of electrolyte membrane, 23, 23B ... Base material with membrane, 31 ... Anti-peeling tape, 41 ... Base line, 43 ... First catalyst material, 44 ... front surface of electrolyte membrane, 45 ... back surface of electrolyte membrane, 46 ... electrolyte membrane with single-sided catalyst, 60 ... electrolyte structure.

Claims (2)

A preparation step of preparing a membrane-coated substrate formed by forming an electrolyte membrane on one side of the substrate;
A tape application step of attaching an anti-peeling tape between the edge of the electrolyte membrane and the substrate to prevent the electrolyte membrane from peeling from the substrate;
A first application step of applying a first catalyst material to the front surface of the electrolyte membrane pressed by the peeling prevention tape to obtain a catalyst-coated substrate;
A substrate removing step of obtaining an electrolyte membrane with a single-side catalyst by removing the substrate from the catalyst-coated substrate;
An inversion step of inverting the one-side catalyst-attached electrolyte membrane,
A second coating step of applying a second catalyst material on the back side of the electrolyte membrane with a single-side catalyst to obtain an electrolyte structure with the catalyst material on both sides of the electrolyte membrane;
The manufacturing method of the electrolyte structure characterized by comprising.   A trim step for obtaining a reference line by cutting an edge of the film-coated substrate between the tape applying step and the first application step is provided, and the reference line is provided between the reversing step and the second application step. The method of manufacturing an electrolyte structure according to claim 1, further comprising a positioning step of positioning the electrolyte membrane with a single-sided catalyst on the basis of

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