Unitized fuel cell electrode gasket assembly

Abstract

A foam gasket ( 35 ) is adhered to an anode substrate ( 14 ) by sealant material, such as a thermoplastic polymer, a thermoset polymer or an elastomeric polymer, which is impregnated ( 31 ) to provide an edge seal to the anode substrate. In one embodiment, a foam gasket ( 36 ) is adhered to the cathode substrate ( 26 ) by the sealant material which is impregnated ( 32 ) to provide a gas edge seal to the cathode substrate. Each fuel cell is completed during the formation of a fuel cell stack by compressing the fuel flow field plates and oxidant flow field plates to the unitized electrode assembly with gaskets. In a second embodiment, the oxidant flow field plate ( 27 ) is adhered to the cathode substrate by the sealant material which is impregnated into the cathode substrate to provide a gas edge seal, and the fuel flow field plate ( 18 ) is adhered to the oxidant flow field plate ( 27 ) by means of the sealant material ( 53 ). The entire fuel cell with gasket ( 9 a ) is formed in a single hot lamination step ( 45 b ).

I claim:  
     
         1 . A fuel cell comprising: 
 a catalyst coated proton exchange membrane disposed between an anode substrate and a cathode substrate, each of said substrates being provided with an edge seal formed of a sealant material extruded into the substrate by a hot lamination process, at least one of said substrates having a foam gasket adhered thereto by said sealant material film during said hot lamination process.    
     
     
         2 . A fuel according to  claim 1  wherein both of said substrates have a foam gasket adhered thereto by said sealant material during said hot lamination process.  
     
     
         3 . A fuel cell according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said sealant material comprises a thermoplastic polymer.  
 
     
     
         4 . A fuel cell according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said sealant material comprises a thermoset polymer.  
 
     
     
         5 . A fuel cell according to  claim 1  wherein: 
 said sealant material comprises an elastomeric polymer.  
 
     
     
         6 . A fuel cell according to  claim 1  wherein only one of said substrates has a foam gasket adhered thereto, and wherein: 
 the other of said substrates has a reactant gas flow field plate adhered thereto by said sealant material which is extruded into said substrate by said hot lamination process, and a reactant gas flow field plate related to said one substrate is adhered to said first reactant gas flow field plate by said sealant material during said hot lamination process, to form an integral fuel cell with a gasket.  
 
     
     
         7 . A fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cells according to  claim 6  compressed together, whereby the foam gasket of one fuel cell provides a gas seal with the second reactant flow field plate of a fuel cell adjacent thereto in said stack.