Fuel cell catalyst member and method of making same

التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان: Fuel cell catalyst member and method of making same
Patent Number: 4,467,050
تاريخ النشر: August 21, 1984
Appl. No: 06/396,399
Application Filed: July 08, 1982
مستخلص: A fuel cell catalyst member formed from a metallic plate to whose surface is electrophoretically applied a porous support layer of ceramic material into which is impregnated an active catalyst material.
Inventors: Patel, Pinakin (Danbury, CT); Dharia, Dilip (Edison, NJ); Maru, Hansraj (Brookfield Center, CT)
Assignees: Energy Research Corporation (Danbury, CT)
Claim: We claim
Claim: 1. A fuel cell catalyst member for use in a fuel cell which receives process gas containing hydrocarbon content, said member reforming said hydrocarbon content through communication between said process gas and said member, said member comprising
Claim: a metallic plate having a continuous surface of extended dimension;
Claim: a porous support layer of ceramic material electrophoretically deposited on said surface, said ceramic material comprising lithium aluminate;
Claim: and an active catalyst material dispersed in said support layer.
Claim: 2. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said active material contains nickel;
Claim: and said metallic plate contains stainless steel.
Claim: 3. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said active catalyst material is uniformly dispersed in said support layer.
Claim: 4. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said active catalyst is non-uniformly dispersed in said support layer.
Claim: 5. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said support layer is on preselected portions of said surface.
Claim: 6. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said plate has opposing upper and lower surfaces which comprise said surface.
Claim: 7. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 6 wherein
Claim: said support layer is on both said upper and lower surfaces.
Claim: 8. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 6 wherein
Claim: said support layer is exclusively on one of said upper and lower surfaces.
Claim: 9. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 6 wherein
Claim: said metallic plate is corrugated and includes crest regions and valley regions;
Claim: and said support material is on said lower surface in said crest regions.
Claim: 10. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 9 wherein
Claim: said support material is excluded from said lower surface in said valley regions.
Claim: 11. A method of producing a catalyst member for in situ reforming of the hydrocarbon content of process gas of a fuel cell comprising the steps of
Claim: electrophoretically depositing a porous support layer of ceramic material to a continuous surface of extended dimension of a metallic plate;
Claim: and impregnating said support layer with an active catalyst material capable of reforming said hydrocarbon content of said fuel gas.
Claim: 12. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein said method further includes
Claim: drying said impregnated plate.
Claim: 13. A method in accordance with claim 12 further comprising
Claim: activating said applied catalyst.
Claim: 14. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein
Claim: the support material is an emulsion;
Claim: and electrophoresis is at a voltage in the range of 500-700 volts and at a current density of 1-2 mA/cm.sup.2 for a period of about 20-50 seconds.
Claim: 15. A method in accordance with claim 14 wherein
Claim: said emulsion comprises lithium aluminate and a solvent.
Claim: 16. A method in accordance with claim 15 wherein
Claim: said solvent is isopropanol and the emulsion contains about 50 to 90 mg. of lithium aluminate per cc of isopropanol.
Claim: 17. A method in accordance with claim 12 or 13 wherein
Claim: said impregnation is by soaking in a solution containing the active material.
Claim: 18. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein
Claim: soaking is carried out with the plate held horizontally to obtain uniform concentration of catalyst material in said support layer.
Claim: 19. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein
Claim: said soaking is carried out with said plate inclined to the horizontal to obtain a non-uniform concentration of catalyst material in said support layer.
Claim: 20. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein
Claim: said soaking is carried out by first applying a vacuum on the plate, and then contacting the solution containing active material.
Claim: 21. A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein
Claim: said active material comprises nickel.
Claim: 22. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein
Claim: said solution is a nickel salt solution.
Claim: 23. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein
Claim: said salt solution contains Ni(NO.sub.3).sub.2.
Claim: 24. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein
Claim: said salt solution contains NiSO.sub.4.
Claim: 25. A method in accordance with claim 21 wherein
Claim: said salt solution contains nickel formate or nickel acetate.
Claim: 26. A method in accordance with claim 11 further including
Claim: prior to depositing said support layer, treating the surface of said plate to provide a desired flatness and surface area.
Claim: 27. A method in accordance with claim 26 wherein
Claim: said treating of said plate provides a plate surface area of from about 2 cm.sup.2 /cm.sup.2 to 10 cm.sup.2 /cm.sup.2.
Claim: 28. A method in accordance with claim 27 wherein
Claim: treating of said plate provides a plate flatness of .+-.0.5 to .+-.3 mils.
Claim: 29. A method in accordance with claim 28 wherein
Claim: treating said plate includes annealing said plate.
Claim: 30. A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein
Claim: annealing is carried out at a temperature of about 1800.degree.-2100.degree. F. in a hydrogen atmosphere for a period of about 2 to 4 hours.
Claim: 31. A method in accordance with claim 29 wherein
Claim: treating said plate further includes sand blasting said plate subsequent to said annealing operation.
Claim: 32. A method in accordance with claim 31 wherein
Claim: treating said plate further includes further annealing said plate subsequent to said sand blasting operation.
Claim: 33. A method in accordance with claim 31 wherein
Claim: treating said plate further includes flattening said plate at pressures in a range of 0.5 to 1-0 tons/sq. in. area subsequent to said sand blasting.
Claim: 34. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising
Claim: drying said impregnated plate, said drying being for a period of about 2 to 4 hours.
Claim: 35. A method in accordance with claim 34 wherein
Claim: drying is with air.
Claim: 36. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising
Claim: activating said catalyst material.
Claim: 37. A method in accordance with claim 13 or 36 wherein
Claim: activating comprises subjecting the plate to a hydrogen atmosphere under controlled heating.
Claim: 38. A method in accordance with claim 37 wherein
Claim: the quantity of hydrogen is about 0.5-1.0 cc/min-cm.sup.2, heated at a rate of about 0.5.degree.-2.degree. C./min.
Claim: 39. A method in accordance with claim 11 further comprising
Claim: removing said support layer and said active catalyst from selected areas of said surface.
Claim: 40. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein
Claim: said depositing of said support layer and application of said active catalyst material is to selected areas of said surface.
Claim: 41. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein
Claim: said plate has first and second opposing surfaces which form said surface.
Claim: 42. A method in accordance with claim 41 wherein
Claim: said depositing is to said first and second surfaces.
Claim: 43. A method in accordance with claim 42 wherein
Claim: said depositing is exclusively to one of said first and second surfaces.
Claim: 44. A method in accordance with claim 43 wherein
Claim: said depositing is to preselected areas of said one surface.
Claim: 45. A method in accordance with claim 11 wherein
Claim: said porous support layer has a surface area in the range 1 to 30 m.sup.2 /g.
Claim: 46. A method in accordance with claim 11 or 45 wherein
Claim: said active catalyst material has a surface area in the range of 0.1 to 10 m.sup.2 /g.
Claim: 47. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said porous support layer has a surface area in the range of 1 to 30 m.sup.2 /g.
Claim: 48. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 or 47 wherein
Claim: 49. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 1 wherein
Claim: said hydrocarbon content includes one of methane, propane and alcohol.
Claim: 50. A fuel cell catalyst member in accordance with claim 49 wherein
Claim: said alcohol includes one of methanol and ethanol.
Current U.S. Class: 502/330; 502/101; 502/527
Current International Class: B01J 2104; B01J 2302; B01J 2378; B01J 3502
Patent References Cited: 3186957 June 1965 Stiles
3219730 November 1965 Bliton et al.
3488226 January 1970 Baker et al.
3498927 March 1970 Stiles
3513109 May 1970 Stiles
3627790 December 1971 Stiles
3645915 February 1972 Stiles
4019969 April 1977 Golebiowski et al.
4024075 May 1977 Russ et al.
4182795 January 1980 Baker et al.
4288346 September 1981 Hunter et al.
4329403 May 1982 Baker
5363753 December 1982 Bozon et al.
Primary Examiner: Shine, W. J.
رقم الانضمام: edspgr.04467050
قاعدة البيانات: USPTO Patent Grants