POLYMER ELECTROLYTE TYPE FUEL CELL AND PRODUCTION METHOD THEREFOR

摘要

A polymer electrolyte type fuel cell and a production method therefor. The polymer electrolyte type fuel cell is provided with an MEA consisting of a polymer electrolyte membrane and a pair of catalyst-carrying porous electrodes sandwiching the membrane, with a conductive separator disposed on the outer surface of the MEA. Since a porous electrode having a good air permeability may encounter a reaction gas leakage from its end portion to the outside of the separator, it is a general practice to provide a resin sealing portion formed by impregnating and heat-curing a thermosetting resin material to the peripheral edge of the porous electrode. This arrangement, however, makes it difficult to keep a sufficient sealing performance due to shrunk resin material volume and solvent vaporization encountered when forming a resin sealing portion. The above sealing performance problem is resolved by injection-molding or press-molding thermoplastic resin to the MEA peripheral edge, press-fitting resin to the inside of the porous electrode (12) peripheral edge, and forming a gas seal portion (14) covering the polymer electrolyte membrane (11) extending out from the edge portion of the porous electrode.