Patent ID: 6818339
Filing Date: 2004-11-16
Classification: H01M,Y02E

Abstract:
A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprising a single cell having a cathode and an anode that are arranged across a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, and a pair of conductive separator plates that are disposed outside said anode and said cathode and have gas flow paths for supplying and discharging a fuel gas and an oxidant gas to and from said anode and said cathode respectively,wherein each of said cathode and said anode comprises a particulate catalyst, a hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte, a conductive porous base material and a water repellent agent, and water repellency of at least one of said cathode and said anode varies in a direction of thickness or in a plane direction, characterized in that the water repellency of said conductive porous base material varies in the direction of thickness and is higher on a side of said conductive separator plate than on a side of said hydrogen ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, or that the water repellency of said conductive porous base material varies in the plane direction and is higher on a gas outlet side of said separator than on a gas inlet side of said separator.