Patent ID: 8658331

Claim:
A catalyst ink composition for a fuel cell electrode-comprising: a plurality of electrically conductive support particles; a catalyst formed from a finely divided precious metal, the catalyst supported by the conductive support particles; an ionomer; at least one solvent; and a reinforcing material configured to bridge and distribute stresses across the electrically conductive support particles of the ink composition upon a drying thereof, the reinforcing material substantially evenly distributed throughout the catalyst ink composition, wherein the reinforcing material is a fiber, the reinforcing material does not support the catalyst, the reinforcing material and the conductive support particles form a substantially continuous matrix upon the drying of the catalyst ink composition that militates against a formation of a network of cracks in the dried catalyst ink composition, a weight ratio of the plurality of electrically conductive support particles to the reinforcing material is about 1:1, and a weight ratio of the ionomer to the plurality of electrically conductive support particles is between about 0.6:1 and about 2:1.