CA1323556C - Method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT
The invention is a method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) structure comprising the steps of heating a fluorocarbon membrane, while it is in its thermoplastic form, contacting a plurality of catalytically active, electrically conductive particles with the fluorocarbon membrane while the membrane is in its thermoplastic form, subjecting the membrane/combination to pressure, contacting the membrane particle combination with an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix, and subjecting the combination to pressure thereby forming a laminate having a membrane on one side, a matrix on another side and a plurality of catalytically active particles therebetween. The SPE is particularly applicable for use in electrolytic cells, such as chlor-alkali cells, and is effective in minimizing electrical resistance between a current collector and the SPE.

33,320A-F

Description

-1- 1323~6 METHOD FOR FORMING A SOLID
POLYMER ELECTROLYTE STRUCTURE
The present invention prov:ides for a method of forming a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) structure that minimizes the electrical resistance between a current collector and an embedded or bonded electrode.
The present application is a divisional application and is divided out of parent application serial No. 524,739 filed on December 8, 1986.
Solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) cells refer to cells in which one or both electrodes are bonded to or embedded in a polymeric ion exchange membrane. Such cells are rather well known in the art and are discussed in detail in the following U. S. Patent Nos. 4,315,805 to Darlington, et al. (February 16, 1982); 4,364,815 to Darlington, et al. (December 12, 1982);
4,272,353 to Lawrence, et al. (June 9, 1981); and 4,394,229 to Korach (July 19, 1983).
In SPE cells, a current collector is pressed against and contacts the electrode and provides a pathway for electrical current to flow from a power supply to the electrode. Current collectors are electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrices which may take a variety of shapes, sizes, and types, including metallic window screen, punched metallic plates, expanded metals, and the like. The following U. S. Patents describe some commonly-used types of current collectors: No.
4,299,674 to Korach (November 10, 1981); No. 4,468,311 to de Nora, et al. (August 28, 1984); and No. 4,215,183 to MacLeod (July 29, 1980).

-2- ~3 2 3 ~ ~ ~ 74069-51D

SPE cells often have major problems due to the high electrical resistance between the embedded or bonded electrodes and the current collectors which are pressed against the electrode. Many workers in the art have attempted to solve the high resistance problem in a variety of ways. Some solutions include the use of a mattress as shown in U. S. Patent No.
4,468,311 issued to de Nora, et al. (August 28, 1984); or by applying the electro-catalyst directly to a conductive carbon cloth which acts as the current collector, as described in U. S.
Patent No. 4,239,396 issued to Allen, et al. (October 6, 1981).
The invention of the present divisional application particularly resides in a method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure comprising the steps of:
(a) heating a fluorocarbon membrane, while it is in its thermoplastic form, to a temperature at which it softens;
(b) contacting a plurality of electrically conductive, catalytically active particles with at least a portion of one face of the membrane, while said membrane is in a softened state thereby forming a membrane/particle combination;
(c) subjecting the membrane/particle combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the particles into the membrane;
(d) contacting the membrane/particle combination with an electrically conductive hydraulically permeable matrix, thereby forming a particulated membrane/matrix combination; and (e) subjecting the particulated membrane/matrix combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion 1323~56 74069-51D

of the matrix into the particulated membrane.
The invention of the parent application particularly resides in a method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure comprising the steps of:
(a) forming a mixture of a polytetrafluoroethylene or a fluorocarbon ion exchange active polymer in its thermoplastic form and a plurality of catalytically active, electrically conductive particles having an average particle size diameter of from 10 to 30 microns and having a surface area of from 800 to 1,800 square meters per gram (m2/g);
(b) forming the mixture into a particle containing film;
(c) contacting the film with a fluorocarbon membrane in its thermoplastic form;
(d) and contacting the particle containing film with an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix, thereby forming a laminate having a membrane on one side, a matrix on another side and a plurality of catalytically active particles therebetween, wherein the matrix is selected from carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt, metallic screen, metallic felt or a porous metallic sheet and wherein the matrix has a resistivity of from 600,000 to 1,375 microohm-centimeters; and 5e) applying sufficient pressure to the laminate to bond at least a portion of the matrix to the membrane thereby forming a membrane having catalytically active particles present on the membrane at a level of less than about 25 milligrams per square centimeter (mg/cm2) of membrane area.

13~,3~ 74069-51D

The single figure illustrates the SPE structure 100 comprising a membrane sheet 120, a plurality of electrically conductive particles 110, and an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix 130.
As a result of the intimate contact between the membrane sheet, the electrically conductive particles, and the electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix (which serves as a current collector and which is connected to a power supply), the resistance to the flow of electrical energy is minimized and, thus, the cell operates more efficiently than cells employing the SPE structure of the prior art.
The SPE structure of the inventions of both the parent and the present divisional application include embodiments where electrically conductive particles are bonded to or embedded in one, or both, sides of the membrane sheet.
The SPE structure 100 is composed of a membrane sheet 120 which has a plurality of electrically conductive particles 110 embedded into it. The particles are in physical and electrical contact with an electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix 130, which is also embedded into the membrane sheet 120.
The membrane sheet divides the anode compartment from the cathode compartment and limits the type and amount of fluids and/or ions that pass between the anode compartment and the cathode compartments. The membrane may be a single layer membrane or a multi-layer composite membrane.
The membrane may be constructed of a fluorocarbon-type material or of a hydrocarbon-type material. Such membrane 13~3~ 74069-51D

materials are well known in the art. Preferably, however, fluorocarbon materials are generally employed because of their chemical stability.
Non-ionic (thermoplastic) forms of perfluorinated polymers described in the following U. S. Patents are suitable:
U. S. Patent Nos. 3,282,875, 3,909,378; 4,025,405; 4,065,366;
4,116,888; 4,123,336; 4,126,588, 4,151,052, 4,176,215;
4,178,218; 4,192,725, 4,209,635; 4,212,713; 4,251,333;
4,270,996; 4,329,435; 4,330,654; 4,337,137; 4,337,211, 4,340,680; 4,357,218; 4,358,412; 4,358,545; 4,417,969;
4,462,877; 4,470,889; and 4,478,695; and European Patent Appli-cation 0,027,009. Such polymers usually have an equivalent weight in the range of from 500 to 2~000.
To allow the cloth and the electrically conductive particles to be embedded into the fluorocarbon membrane, it is desirable for the fluorocarbon membrane to be in its thermoplastic form. It is in a thermoplastic form when it is made and before it is converted into an ion exchange form. By thermoplastic form, it is meant, for instance, that the membrane has SO2X pendant groups rather than ionically bonded SO3Na or SO3H pendant groups, where X is -F, COOCH3, or a quaternary amine.
Particularly preferred fluorocarbon materials for use in forming membranes are copolymers of monomer I with monomer II
(as defined below). Optionally, a 1~23~

third type of monomer may be copolymerized with I and II.
The first type of monomer is represented by the general formula:
5CF2=CZZ' (I) where:
Z and Z' are independently selected from -H, -Cl, -F, and -CF3.

. The second monomer consists of one or more monomers selected from compounds represented by the general formula:
Y-(CF2)a-(CFRf)b-(CFRf,)c-o-[CF(cF2x)-cF2-oln-cF=cF2 (II) where:
Y is selected from -SO2Z, -CN, -COZ, and C(R3f)(R4f)OH;
Z is selected from -I, -Br, -Cl, -F, -OR, and -NRlR2;
R is a branched or linear alkyl radical having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms or an aryl radical;
-R3f and R4f are independently selected from perfluoroalkyl radicals having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms;
Rl and R2 are independently selected from H, a branched or linear-alkyl radical having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and an aryl radical;
a is 0-6;
b is 0-6;
c is 0 or 1;
provided a+b+c is not equal to 0;

33,320A-F Div. A -5-13235~

X is selected from Cl, Br, F, and mixtures thereof when n>l;
n is 0 to 6; and Rf and Rf, are independently selected from F, Cl, Br, perfluoroalkyl radicals having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and fluorochloroalkyl radicals having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms.

Particularly preferred is a monomer where Y
is -SO2F or -COOCH3; n is 0 or 1; Rf and Rf, are F; X is -Cl or -F; and a+b+c is 2 or 3.
, .
The third and optional monomer suitable is one or more monomers selected from the compounds represented by the general formula:

Yl-(cF2)a~-(cFRf)b~-(cFRf~)c~-o-~cF(cF2x~)-cF2-o]n~-cF=cF2 (III) 15 where:
Y' is selected from F, Cl and Br;
a' and b' are independently 0-3;
c' is 0 or 1;
provided a'+b'+c' is not equal to 0;
n' is 0-6;
Rf and Rf, are independently selected from Br, Cl, F, perfluoroalkyl radicals having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and chloroperfluoroalkyl radicals having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and 2S X' is selected from F, Cl, Br, and mixtures thereof when n'>l.

Conversion of Y to ion exchange groups is well known in the art and consists of a reaction of Y
with an alkaline solution.

33,320A-F Div. A -6-~7~ 132~

While the fluorocarbon membrane is in its thermoplastic form, it is capable of softening when heated and hardening again when cooled. Thus, the cloth can be easily pressed into the membrane when the membrane has been heated. The temperature to which the membrane is preferably heated to make it sufficiently soft to allow the cloth to be embedded therein depends, to a great extent, on the chemical formulation of the membrane. In general, however, temperatures in the range of from 150C to 350C for membranes when Y= -SO2F (as defined in Equation II
above), or 150C to 300C for membranes when Y= -CO2CH3 (as defined in Equation II above). Hydrocarbon-based membranes may (depending upon the exact composition of the hydrocarbon material) be heated to a temperature of from 100C to 190C.
For example, a membrane sheet may be prepared by hot pressing a sulfonyl fluoride powder having an equivalent weight of about 1,000, as described in U. S. Patent No. 4,330,654 between two sheets of glass fiber reinforced polytetrafluoro-ethylene at a temperature of about 310C under a pressure of about 0.75 tons per square inch (10,353 kPa) for about 1.25 minutes. The resulting sheet, having a diameter of from 15 to 18 cm, has a thickness of from 0.0025 to 0.4 mm, preferably, from 0.1 to 0.25 mm, most preferably, from 0.05 to 0.15 mm.
It is important to make an effective bond between the electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix and the membrane. Such a bond may be made with or without the use of externally-applied pressure during bonding. It has been discovered,however, that better bonding is generally obtained 1~323~5~ 74069-51D

when the membrane and the electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix are first contacted and heated at zero pressure for about 1 minute, followed by application of a pressure of from 1 to 8 tons per square inch (13,780 to 110,240 kPa) for from 0.2 to 2 minutes.
At least one of the electrodes should be in the form of a plurality of electrically conductive particles embedded into the membrane sheet. This is what makes a SPE electrode. The electrode composed of a plurality of electrically conductive particles can be either the cathode or the anode. Optionally, both electrodes can be electrically conductive particles embedded into opposite sides of the membrane sheet. For the purposes of the present discussion, the forms of both electrodes will be described as though they are electrically conductive particles and will also be described as if they are separate, conventional electrodes.
Conventional anodes are usually hydraulically permeable, electrically conductive structures made in a variety of shapes and styles including, for example, a sheet of expanded metal, perforated plate, punched plate, unflattened diamond shaped expanded metal, or woven metallic wire. Metals suitable for use as anodes include tantalum, tungsten, columbium, zirconium, molybdenum, and preferably, titanium, and alloys containing major amounts of these metals.

~.~23~

Optionally, the anode may be an SPE electrode consisting of a plurality of electrically conductive particles embedded into the membrane sheet. Materials suitable for use as electrocatalytically active anode materials include, for example, activating substances such as oxides of platinum group metals like ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, platinum, palladium, either alone or in combination with an oxide of a film-forming metal.
Other suitable activating oxides include cobalt oxide either alone or in combination with other metal oxides.
Examples of such activating oxides are found in U.S.
Patents Nos. 3,632,498; 4,142,005; 4,061,549; and 4,214,971.

Conventional cathodes are usually hydraulic-ally permeable, electrically conductive structuresmade in a variety of shapes and styles including, for example, a sheet of expanded metal, perforated plate, punched plate, unflattened diamond shaped expanded metal,. or woven metallic wire. Metals suitable for use as a cathode include, for example, copper, iron, nickel, lead, molybdenum, cobalt, and alloys containing a major proportion of these metals, such as low carbon stain-less steel, and metals or alloys coated with substances such as silver, gold, platinum, ruthenium, palladium, and rhodium.-Optionally, as has been stated, the cathodemay be an SPE electrode consisting of a plurality of electrically conductive particles embedded into the membrane sheet. Materials suitable for use as electro-catalytically active cathode materials include, forexample, a platinum group metal or metal oxide, such as ruthenium or ruthenium oxide. U.s. Patent No. 4,465,580 describes such cathodes.

33,320A-F Div. A -9--lo- ~L~23~5~

The electrically conductive particles, whether used as an anode or as a cathode are preferably finely divided and have a high surface area. For example, in the case of an oxygen or hydrogen electrode fuel cell, platinum black having a surface area of greater than 25 m2/g or high surface area (800-1,800 m /g) platinum on activated carbon powder (average particle size 10-30 microns) are quite suitable for use as the anode and the cathode. In the case of a chlorine cell, an electrode may be prepared in which ruthenium dioxide particles are prepared by thermal decomposition of ruthenium nitrate for 2 hours at a temperature of 450C. The resulting oxide may then be ground using a mortar and pestle and the portion which passed through a 325 mesh sieve (less than 44 microns) used to prepare an electrode.
The electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix which acts as a current collector to transmit electrical energy to or from the SPE electrode, may be composed of a variety of substances including carbon cloth, carbon paper, carbon felt, metallic screens, metallic felt, and porous metallic sheets.
Preferably, however, the electrically conductive, hydraulically permeable matrix is a carbon cloth because carbon cloth is readily available, performs well, is easily handled, and is relatively inexpensive.
The cloth most preferably used is one having a low electrical resistivity, is relatively inexpensive, possesses sufficient strength for fabrication, and has adequate surface properties, such as roughness, to provide good bonding between the ion exchange membrane and itself. It is also preferable to -11- 1~23~5~

provide good electrical contact between the carbon cloth and the electrocatalytically active particles of the electrode.
The type of carbon cloth suitable for use is commercially available from a variety of sources including:
Stackpole Fibers Co. sold under the names Panex PWB-3, PWB-6, KFB and SWB-8;from Union Carbide Corp. sold under the names WCA
Graphite Cloth and VCK and VCA carbon cloth. Carbon cloth may also be woven from carbon fibers available from Fiberite Corp.

* * *
sold under the names Celion lO00, Celion 3000, Celion 6000, Celion 12000, or from Celanese Corporation sold as C-6, or G-50.
These materials may vary in physical properties but are acceptable for use as long as they are sufficiently strong to maintain their physical integrity during fabrication. Fiber size and weave patterns may also vary and are not critical to the successful operation. The cloth preferably has a thickness of from 0.05 to 0.65 mm and an electrical resistivity of from 600,000 to 1,375 microohm-centimeters. More preferably the cloth has a resistivity of approximately l,500 microohm-centimeters.
The SPE structure may then be fabricated by preparing the membrane in the thermoplastic form, embedding the electro-catalytically active particles into the membrane, bonding the current collector over the particles, and then converting the membrane to its ionic form by reacting it, in the case of -SO2F
pendant *

Trade-mark 1323~56 groups, with NaOH under the following conditions: (1) immerse the film in about 25 weight percent sodium hydroxide for about 16 hours at a temperature of about 90C (2) rinse the film twice in deionized water heated to a temperature of about 90C using 30 to 60 minutes per rinse. The pendant group is then in the -S03-Na form. Cations other than Na can be made to replace the Na if practical (such as H ).

The electrocatalytically active particles may be incorporated into the surface of the membrane using a variety of techniques including, for example, pres-sing, slurrying with a solvent and blending with the membrane or other polymer powders. Such techniques are rather well known in the art. One technique involves the use of platinum particles applied to carbon powder by being brushed evenly over a fluorocarbon membrane film in its thermoplastic form. The so-coated film is then placed between sheets of glass fiber reinforced polytetrafluoroethylene and hot pressed at a temper-ature of from 240C to 310C at a pressure of from 0.5to 1 ton/in2 (6894 to 13,788 kPa) of pressure for from 1 to 10 minutes. The current collector may then be bonded to the so-coated membrane by placing it onto the membrane so that it is in contact with the particles, and hot pressing the combination at a temperature of from 240C to 310C at a pressure of from 0.5 to 1 ton/in2 for a period of from 1 to 10 minutes.

The quantity of particles used on the mem-brane film to form the SPE electrode may vary depending upon the activity of the electrocatalyst, its cost, etc. For chlor-alkali SPE membranes, the amount of 33,320A-F DiV. A -12--13- 1~2355~

catalyst used is usually from 0.4 to 1.0 milligrams catalyst/-square centimeter of membrane area. There is an upper limit on the amount of particles which may be placed onto the membrane to prevent the particles from penetrating the membrane. The upper limit has been determined to be about 25 milligrams catalyst/square centimeter of membrane area.
An optional way of applying the electrically conductive particles is to make a suspension of the particles in a liquid and spraying or pouring the suspension over the membrane, allow the liquid to evaporate, and then hot pressing the particles into the membrane with or without the carbon cloth in place. For example platinum and carbon particles may be slurried in dibromo-tetrafluoroethane and poured or sprayed onto a membrane. The dibromotetrafluoroethane is then allowed to evaporate. Carbon cloth current collectors can then be hot pressed onto these so-formed electrodes.
A second alternative for preparing the SPE electrode is to first prepare a thin film composed of electrocatalytically active particles bound together using a binder such as polytetra-fluoroethylene or a membrane in its thermoplastic form.Preferably the binder material/catalyst combination is in the form of a porous film. This film can then be laminated between the current collector and the membrane. For example, a film can be prepared from a blend of the thermoplastic form of an ion exchange fluoro polymeric containing about 10 weight percent of the catalytically active particles comprising about 5 percent platinum coated on 30 micron carbon particles. This may be hot -14- 13 23~ ~6 pressed at a temperature of 310C at a pressure of 1 ton per square inch (13,788 kPa) for 1.25 minutes to prepare a film having a thickness of less than 0.025 mm. This film can be laminated between the carbon cloth current distributor and membrane by a conventional hot pressing technique. Thereafter, the carbon cloth may be embedded into the membrane sheet by preheating the membrane/carbon cloth pair at a temperature of 120C at atmospheric pressure for about 30 seconds, followed by heating at the same temperature under a pressure of from 1 to 2 tons/in for 225 seconds, then heating under a pressure of from 2 to 3 tons/in for about 60 seconds for a hydrocarbon based membrane having a melting point of from 125C to 140C. Time interval temperature and pressure may vary depending on selection of type and thickness of membrane.
Optionally, the electrically conductive particles may be applied to the carbon cloth prior to the carbon cloth being embedded into the membrane sheet. Such a procedure involves preparing the cloth as described in U. S. Patent No. 4,293,396, (October 6, 1981). The so-prepared cloth can then be bonded to the membrane by contacting and preheating the membrane/cloth pair at a temperature of about 240C at atmospheric pressure for 60 seconds, then applying a pressure of from 4 to 6 tons/in2 at a temperature of about 240C for a period of from 40 to 120 seconds, followed by cooling to a temperature of from 20 to 25C in air.
The solid polymer electrolyte structure is useful in a wide variety of electrochemical cells including, for example, fuel cells for the continuous production of electrical -15~
132~6 energy; electrolysis cells for the production of chemical products; and batteries for the intermittent production of electrical energy.

33,320A-F Div. A -15-

Claims

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS
FOLLOWS:

1. A method for forming a solid polymer electrolyte structure comprising:
(a) heating a fluorocarbon membrane, while it is in its thermoplastic form, to a temperature at which it softens;
(b) contacting a plurality of electrically conductive, catalytically active particles with at least a portion of one face of the membrane, while said membrane is in a softened state thereby forming a membrane/particle combination;
(c) subjecting the membrane/particle combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the particles into the membrane;
(d) contacting the membrane/particle combination with an electrically conductive hydraulically permeable matrix, thereby forming a particulated membrane/matrix combination; and (e) subjecting the particulated membrane/matrix combination to a pressure sufficient to embed at least a portion of the matrix into the particulated membrane.
33,320A-F (Div. A) -16-2. The method of Claim 1, wherein the membrane has a thickness of from 0.0005 to 0.015 inches (0.0125 to 0.375 mm).
3. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the matrix is carbon cloth.
4. The method of Claim 3, wherein the carbon cloth has a thickness of from 0.05 to 0.625 mm.
5. The method of Claim 1, wherein the matrix has a resistivity of about 1500 microohm-centimeters.
6. The method of Claim 1, wherein the catalytically active particles are selected from platinum group metals, platinum group metal oxides, ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, platinum, palladium, either alone or in combination with an oxide of a film-forming metal, and cobalt oxide either alone or in combination with other metal oxides.
7. The method of Claim 6, wherein the catalytically active particles are present on the membrane at a level of from 0.4 to 1.0 mg/cm2 of membrane.
8. The method of Claim 6 or 7, wherein the catalytically active particles have an average particle size diameter of from 10 to 30 microns.
9. The method of Claim 1, wherein the catalytically active particles constitute an anode or cathode.
33,320A-F (Div.) -17-10. The method of Claim 1, wherein the catalytically active particles are applied to both sides of the membrane.
11. The method of Claim 10, wherein said catalytically active particles form an anode on one side of the membrane sheet and a cathode on the opposite side of the membrane.
12. The method of Claim 1, wherein one electrode is composed of a plurality of said catalytically active particles and the other electrode is composed of a porous metal plate.
13. The method of Claim 2, wherein the catalytically active particles have a surface area of from 800 to 1800 m2/g.
14. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the catalytically active particles are selected from platinum group metals, platinum group metal oxides ruthenium, iridium, rhodium, platinum, paladium, either alone or in combination with an oxide of a film-forming metal, or cobalt oxide either alone or in combination with other metal oxides.
15. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the catalytically active particles are present on the membrane at a level of less than about 25 milligrams per square centimeter of membrane.
16. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the catalytically active particles are present on the membrane at a level of from 0.4 to 1.0 mg/cm2 of membrane.

33,320A-F (Div.) -18-17. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the fluorocarbon polymer has an equivalent weight of from 500 to 2000.
18. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive particles constitute an anode electrode.
19. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of electrically conductive particles constitute an cathode electrode.
20. The method of Claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of electrically conductive particles form an anode electrode on one side of the membrane sheet and a plurality of electrically conductive particles form a plurality of electrically conductive particles form a cathode electrode on the opposite side of the membrane.
21. The method of Claim 5, wherein one electrode is composed of a plurality of electrically conductive particles and the other electrode is composed of a porous metal plate.

33,320A-F (Div.) -19-