Patent ID: 9673442
Date: 2017-06-06
CPC Classifications: H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Claim:
1. A method of manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly in which an electrode catalyst layer is formed on a surface of an electrolyte membrane, the method comprising: drying a substrate sheet to which a catalyst ink is applied, the catalyst ink containing catalyst support particles on which a catalytic metal is supported, a solvent, and an ionomer; reducing a concentration of a solvent gas obtained by gasification of the solvent, which remains in a chamber of a heating device for performing a heat treatment, to a predetermined concentration threshold or lower; performing the heat treatment on the substrate sheet, on which the catalyst ink is dried, after the drying and after the concentration of the solvent gas is at the predetermined concentration threshold or lower, wherein the heat treatment is performed at a heat treatment temperature which is equal to or higher than a glass transition temperature of the ionomer to prepare the electrode catalyst layer; and bonding the prepared electrode catalyst layer to the electrolyte membrane through thermocompression bonding to prepare the membrane electrode assembly.