Support for fuel cell, method of preparing the same, and electrode for fuel cell, membrane-electrode assemby for a fuel cell and fuel cell system including same

Abstract

A support for a fuel cell includes a substrate including highly crystalline carbon, and a crystalline carbon layer on the substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of preparing the support for a fuel cell, the method comprising:
 adding a monomer for a graphitizable polymer to a liquid containing a highly crystalline carbon suspended therein to prepare a mixture, the highly crystalline carbon having a Raman spectrum intensity ratio between a (1360) plane and a (1580) plane, I D /I G  ((I(1360 cm −1 )/I(1580 cm −1 )) of about 0.24 to about 0.91;   adding a polymerization initiator to the mixture to perform polymerization and prepare a polymerization product;   stabilizing the polymerization product to prepare a stabilized product;   first heat-treating the stabilized product to provide a first heat-treated product;   second heat-treating and carbonizing the first heat-treated product to provide a resultant; and   third heat-treating and graphitizing the resultant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of preparing the support for a fuel cell as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the polymerization product includes highly crystalline carbon and a carbon layer in a form of a continuous coating on the highly crystalline carbon, wherein the carbon layer has a coating ratio represented by the following Equation 1 of about 100% to about 800%:
   Coating ratio=[( W   f   −W   0 )/ W   0 ]×100(%)  [Equation 1]
   wherein, W 0  denotes a weight (g) of highly crystalline carbon in the substrate, and   W f  denotes a weight (g) of total polymerization product in the substrate and carbon layer.   
     
     
         3 . The method of preparing the support for a fuel cell as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the first heat-treating is performed at about 300° C. to about 700° C. 
     
     
         4 . The method of preparing the support for a fuel cell as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the stabilizing is performed at about 220° C. to about 280° C. 
     
     
         5 . The method of preparing the support for a fuel cell as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the second heat-treating includes a first heating stage at about 400° C. to about 800° C., and second heating stage at about 800° C. to about 1200° C. 
     
     
         6 . The method of preparing the support for a fuel cell as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the third heat-treating is performed at about 1200° C. to about 2500° C.