JP6868962B2 - Manufacturing equipment and manufacturing method for membrane / electrode layer joints - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a membrane-electrode layer joint manufacturing apparatus and a manufacturing method for forming an electrode layer on the surface of an electrolyte membrane while transporting a long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane.

In recent years, fuel cells have been attracting attention as a drive power source for automobiles and mobile phones. A fuel cell is a power generation system that produces electric power by an electrochemical reaction between hydrogen (H2) contained in fuel and oxygen (O2) in the air. A fuel cell has a feature that the power generation efficiency is high and the burden on the environment is small as compared with other batteries.

There are several types of fuel cells depending on the electrolyte used. One of them is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) that uses an ion exchange membrane (electrolyte membrane) as an electrolyte. Since the polymer electrolyte fuel cell can operate at room temperature and can be made smaller and lighter, it is expected to be applied to automobiles and mobile devices.

The polymer electrolyte fuel cell generally has a structure in which a plurality of cells are stacked. One cell is formed by sandwiching both sides of a membrane-electrode layer assembly (MEA) with a pair of separators. The membrane-electrode layer junction has an electrolyte membrane and a pair of electrode layers formed on both sides of the electrolyte membrane. One of the pair of electrode layers is an anode electrode and the other is a cathode electrode. When a fuel gas containing hydrogen comes into contact with the anode electrode and air comes into contact with the cathode electrode, electric power is generated by an electrochemical reaction.

In the above-mentioned film / electrode layer joint, typically, a catalyst ink (electrode paste) in which catalyst particles containing platinum (Pt) are dispersed in a solvent such as alcohol is applied to the surface of the electrolyte film, and the catalyst ink (electrode paste) is applied. Created by drying the catalytic ink. A conventional technique for manufacturing a membrane-electrode layer joint is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

In the manufacturing apparatus of Patent Document 1, the electrolyte membrane is held on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller. Then, the electrode ink is applied to the surface of the electrolyte film by ejecting the electrode ink from the coating nozzle while transporting the electrolyte film by rotating the suction roller.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2015-15258

The electrode layer formed on the electrolyte membrane is porous in order to efficiently diffuse the fuel gas and air. Therefore, it is known that the electrode layer is easily damaged by external pressure and is easily peeled off from the electrolyte membrane. Therefore, a technique capable of inspecting the electrode layer formed on the electrolyte membrane and determining the presence or absence of defects at the time of manufacturing the membrane / electrode layer joint is important for controlling the quality of the membrane / electrode layer joint. In particular, the back surface of the electrolyte membrane is adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller. Therefore, it is more important to inspect whether the electrode layer formed on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane is defective after being separated from the adsorption roller in order to control the quality of the membrane-electrode layer joint. It becomes.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and in the film / electrode layer joint manufacturing apparatus, a defect occurs in the electrode layer formed on the back surface of the electrolyte film after being separated from the adsorption roller. The purpose is to provide a technology that can effectively control the quality of membrane-catalyst adsorbents by inspecting them for their presence.

In order to solve the above problems, the first invention of the present application is an apparatus for manufacturing a film-electrode layer bonded body having a first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane. A plurality of transport rollers for transporting the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane having the first electrode layer containing the first catalyst particles on the back surface in the transport direction, which is the longitudinal direction thereof, and the plurality of transport rollers. The back surface of the electrolyte membrane transported by the above is adsorbed and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the adsorption roller rotating around the axis thereof and the surface of the electrolyte membrane moving while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller. One or more of the material supply parts that supply the electrode material containing the second catalyst particles and form the second electrode layer, and the first electrode layer are inspected after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. The inspection unit includes an inspection unit, and the inspection unit includes the amount of the first catalyst particles carried in the first electrode layer and the amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the second electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. The first of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer obtained in advance from the total carrying amount inspection unit for inspecting the carrying amount of the second catalyst particles and the total carrying amount obtained by the total carrying amount inspection unit. It has a calculation unit for obtaining the carrying amount of the second catalyst particle by subtracting one carrying amount .
The second invention of the present application is an apparatus for producing a film-electrode layer bonded body having a first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the front surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a first catalyst on the back surface. A plurality of transport rollers for transporting the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane on which the first electrode layer containing particles is formed in the transport direction, which is the longitudinal direction thereof, and the electrolyte membrane transported by the plurality of transport rollers. An electrode containing a second catalyst particle on the surface of an adsorption roller that rotates around its axis while adsorbing and holding the back surface with a part of its outer peripheral surface and the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller. A material supply unit for supplying a material and forming a second electrode layer, and one or more inspection units for inspecting the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. Of the plurality of transfer rollers, the transfer roller on the downstream side in the transfer direction from the inspection unit is arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane.

The third invention of the present application is the manufacturing apparatus of the first invention, wherein the inspection unit is included in the first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane before the electrolyte membrane reaches the adsorption roller. It further has a first supported amount inspection unit for inspecting the first supported amount of the first catalyst particles.

The fourth invention of the present application is the manufacturing apparatus of the first invention or the third invention, and the calculation unit obtains the second supported amount of the second catalyst particle from the total supported amount and the first supported amount. The inspection unit inspects the first electrode layer depending on whether or not the second supported amount is an abnormal value.

The fifth invention of the present application is any one of the first to fourth inventions, wherein a long strip-shaped porous base material is interposed between the adsorption roller and the electrolyte membrane. A porous base material transporting unit for transporting is further provided.

The sixth invention of the present application is any one of the first to fifth inventions, and marks the vicinity of the first electrode layer determined to be defective based on the inspection result of the inspection unit. It further has a marking portion.

The seventh invention of the present application is any one of the first to sixth inventions, and the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and the first electrode layer are adsorbed on the adsorption roller in an exposed state. Be retained.

The eighth invention of the present application is a method for producing a film-electrode layer bonded body having a first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane, a) a first catalyst. The back surface of the long strip-shaped electrolyte film on which the first electrode layer containing particles is formed is adsorbed and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller, and the adsorption roller is rotated around the axis thereof. A transport step of transporting the electrolyte membrane, and b) a step of supplying an electrode material containing the second catalyst particles to the surface of the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller to form the second electrode layer. , C) The step of inspecting the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller, and the step c) is e) the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer. From the step of inspecting the carrying amount of the second electrode layer and the carrying amount of the second catalyst particles contained in the second electrode layer, and f) the total carrying amount obtained in the step e), the first electrode layer obtained in advance can be obtained. The present invention includes a step of obtaining a second carrying amount of the second catalyst particles by subtracting the carrying amount of the first catalyst particles contained therein .
The ninth invention of the present application is a method for producing a film-electrode layer bonded body having a first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane, a) a first catalyst. The back surface of the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane on which the first electrode layer containing particles is formed is adsorbed and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller, and the adsorption roller is rotated around the axis thereof. A transport step of transporting the electrolyte membrane, and b) a step of supplying an electrode material containing the second catalyst particles to the surface of the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller to form the second electrode layer. , C) A plurality of transport rollers arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane after the step c), which includes a step of inspecting the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. Transports the electrolyte membrane.

The tenth invention of the present application is the production method of the eighth invention, in which the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane before the electrolyte membrane reaches the adsorption roller. It further has a step of inspecting the first supported amount, and in the step f), the second supported amount of the second catalyst particles is obtained by subtracting the first supported amount from the total supported amount.

The eleventh invention of the present application is the manufacturing method of the eighth invention or the tenth invention, and in the step c), the first electrode layer is inspected depending on whether or not the second supported amount is an abnormal value. ..

The twelfth invention of the present application is any one of the eighth to eleventh inventions, and in the step a), the long strip-shaped porous base material is used with the adsorption roller and the electrolyte membrane. Transport while intervening between.

The thirteenth invention of the present application is any one of the eighth to twelfth inventions, and g) the vicinity of the first electrode layer determined to be defective based on the inspection result of the step c). In addition, it has a marking step.

The 14th invention of the present application is any one of the 8th to 13th inventions, and in the step a), the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and the first electrode layer are exposed. , Is sucked and held by the suction roller.

According to the first to eighteenth inventions of the present application, it is possible to detect defects such as damage and adhesion of foreign matter to the first electrode layer formed on the electrolyte membrane after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. As a result, the quality of the membrane-electrode layer joint can be effectively controlled, and the defect rate of the membrane-electrode layer joint can be reduced. Further, based on the inspection result, it is possible to determine the necessity of processing in the next process. Therefore, the production efficiency of the membrane-electrode layer joint can be improved.

In particular, according to the second and eleventh inventions of the present application, defects such as the shape and position accuracy of the first electrode layer formed on the electrolyte membrane can be inspected. Therefore, the quality of the membrane-electrode layer joint can be controlled more effectively.

In particular, according to the third and twelfth inventions of the present application, the amount of the second catalyst particles supported in the second electrode layer can be inspected.

In particular, according to the fourth and thirteenth inventions of the present application, the supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer can be inspected before the electrolyte membrane is adsorbed and supported by the adsorption roller.

In particular, according to the fifth and fourth inventions of the present application, the first electrode layer can be inspected based on the inspection result of the amount of the second catalyst particles supported. As a result, defects in the first electrode layer can be inspected from more angles.

In particular, according to the sixth and fifteenth inventions of the present application, the electrolyte membrane is adsorbed and supported by an adsorption roller via a porous substrate. Therefore, it is possible to prevent foreign matter and the like adhering to the adsorption roller from being transferred to the electrolyte membrane.

In particular, according to the 7th and 16th inventions of the present application, the back surface of the electrolyte membrane does not come into contact with the transport roller after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first electrode layer from being damaged or having defects such as foreign matter being transferred after being separated from the suction roller. As a result, the reliability of the inspection by the inspection unit can be improved.

In particular, according to the eighth invention and the seventeenth invention of the present application, the electrolyte membrane can be marked based on the inspection result of the inspection unit. As a result, the quality of the membrane-electrode layer joint can be controlled more effectively.

In particular, according to the ninth and eighteenth inventions of the present application, the first electrode layer exposed on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane, which is adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller, can be inspected after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller. As a result, the quality of the membrane-electrode layer joint can be controlled more effectively.

It is a figure which showed the structure of the manufacturing apparatus of the membrane-electrode layer joint body. It is an enlarged view near the lower part of a suction roller. It is a block diagram which showed the connection between a control part and each part. It is a figure which shows the state of inspection of the catalyst particle by the loading amount inspection part. It is a graph which shows the supported amount of the catalyst particle calculated by the control part. It is a figure which shows the state of inspection of the catalyst particle by the loading amount inspection part. It is a graph which shows the supported amount of the catalyst particle calculated by the control part.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. Manufacturing equipment configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a film / electrode layer joint manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this manufacturing apparatus 1, an electrode layer is formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane while the electrolyte membrane, which is a long strip-shaped base material, is transported in the longitudinal direction (transport direction) by a plurality of transport rollers, and is a solid polymer type. This is a device for manufacturing a membrane / electrode layer joint for a fuel cell. As shown in FIG. 1, the membrane / electrode layer joint manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes an adsorption roller 10, a porous base material transport section 20, an electrolyte membrane supply section 30, a material supply section 40, and a drying furnace 50. It includes a joint collecting unit 60, an inspection unit 70, a marking unit 79, and a control unit 80.

The adsorption roller 10 is a roller that rotates while adsorbing and holding the porous base material 91 and the electrolyte membrane 92 conveyed by the plurality of transfer rollers. The suction roller 10 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a plurality of suction holes. The diameter of the suction roller 10 is, for example, 200 mm to 1600 mm. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the lower part of the suction roller 10. As shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, a rotary drive unit 11 having a drive source such as a motor is connected to the suction roller 10. When the rotation drive unit 11 is operated, the suction roller 10 rotates around the axis extending horizontally. In the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the plurality of transfer rollers are composed of a plurality of laminated base material carry-in rollers 32 and a plurality of joint carry-out rollers 64, which will be described later.

As the material of the adsorption roller 10, for example, a porous material such as porous carbon or porous ceramics is used. Specific examples of the porous ceramics include a sintered body of alumina (Al2O3) or silicon carbide (SiC). The pore diameter of the porous adsorption roller 10 is, for example, 5 μm or less, and the porosity is, for example, 15% to 50%.

A metal may be used as the material of the adsorption roller 10 instead of the porous material. Specific examples of the metal include stainless steel such as SUS or iron. When metal is used as the material of the suction roller 10, minute suction holes may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10 by processing. The diameter of the suction holes is preferably 2 mm or less in order to prevent the generation of suction marks.

A suction port 12 is provided on the end surface of the suction roller 10. The suction port 12 is connected to a suction mechanism (for example, an exhaust pump) (not shown). When the suction mechanism is operated, a negative pressure is generated in the suction port 12 of the suction roller 10. Then, negative pressure is also generated in the plurality of suction holes provided on the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10 through the pores in the suction roller 10. The porous base material 91 and the electrolyte membrane 92 are attracted and held on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 10 by the negative pressure, and are conveyed in an arc shape by the rotation of the adsorption roller 10.

Further, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 2, a plurality of water cooling pipes 13 are provided inside the suction roller 10. Cooling water whose temperature has been adjusted to a predetermined temperature is supplied to the water cooling pipe 13 from a water supply mechanism (not shown). During the operation of the manufacturing apparatus 1, the heat of the adsorption roller 10 is absorbed by the cooling water which is a heat medium. As a result, the suction roller 10 is cooled. The cooling water that has absorbed heat is discharged to a drainage mechanism (not shown).

Instead of the drying furnace 50 described later, a heating mechanism such as a hot water circulation mechanism or a heater may be provided inside the adsorption roller 10. In that case, the temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10 may be controlled by controlling the heating mechanism provided inside the suction roller 10 without providing the water cooling tube inside the suction roller 10.

The porous base material transporting unit 20 is a portion for supplying the long strip-shaped porous base material 91 toward the adsorption roller 10 and collecting the used porous base material 91. The porous base material 91 is a breathable base material having a large number of fine pores. The porous base material 91 is preferably made of a material that does not easily generate foreign matter. As shown in FIG. 1, the porous base material transport unit 20 includes a porous base material supply roller 21, a plurality of porous base material carry-in rollers 22, a plurality of porous base material carry-out rollers 23, and a porous base material recovery roller 23. Has 24. The porous base material supply roller 21, the plurality of porous base material carry-in rollers 22, the plurality of porous base material carry-out rollers 23, and the porous base material recovery roller 24 are all arranged in parallel with the suction roller 10.

The porous base material 91 before supply is wound around the porous base material supply roller 21. The porous base material supply roller 21 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the porous base material supply roller 21 rotates, the porous base material 91 is fed out from the porous base material supply roller 21. The drawn out porous base material 91 is conveyed to the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10 along a predetermined carry-in route while being guided by a plurality of porous base material carry-in rollers 22. Then, the porous base material 91 is conveyed in an arc shape by the rotation of the adsorption roller 10 while being adsorbed and held on the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 10. In FIG. 2, for easy understanding, the suction roller 10 and the porous base material 91 held by the suction roller 10 are shown at intervals.

The porous base material 91 is conveyed by 180 ° or more, preferably 270 ° or more, about the axis of the suction roller 10. After that, the porous base material 91 separates from the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10. The porous base material 91 separated from the adsorption roller 10 is conveyed to the porous base material recovery roller 24 along a predetermined carry-out route while being guided by the plurality of porous base material carry-out rollers 23. The porous base material recovery roller 24 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). As a result, the used porous base material 91 is wound around the porous base material recovery roller 24.

The electrolyte membrane supply unit 30 supplies the laminated base material 94 composed of two layers of the electrolyte membrane 92 and the first support film 93 to the periphery of the adsorption roller 10 and peels the first support film 93 from the electrolyte membrane 92. This is the part to be used.

For the electrolyte membrane 92, for example, a fluorine-based or hydrocarbon-based polymer electrolyte membrane is used. Specific examples of the electrolyte membrane 92 include a polymer electrolyte membrane containing perfluorocarbon sulfonic acid (for example, Nafion (registered trademark) manufactured by DuPont in the United States, Flemion (registered trademark) manufactured by Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., and Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd. Aciplex® and Goreselect® manufactured by Gore. The film thickness of the electrolyte membrane 92 is, for example, 5 μm to 30 μm. The electrolyte membrane 92 swells due to the humidity in the atmosphere, but contracts when the humidity becomes low. That is, the electrolyte membrane 92 has a property of being easily deformed according to the humidity in the atmosphere.

The first support film 93 is a film for suppressing deformation of the electrolyte membrane 92. As the material of the first support film 93, a resin having higher mechanical strength than the electrolyte membrane 92 and having an excellent shape-retaining function is used. Specific examples of the first support film 93 include PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films. The film thickness of the first support film 93 is, for example, 25 μm to 100 μm.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electrolyte film supply unit 30 includes a laminated base material supply roller 31 (electrolyte film supply roller), a plurality of laminated base material carry-in rollers 32, a release roller 33, a plurality of first support film carry-out rollers 34, and the like. It has a first support film recovery roller 35. The laminated base material supply roller 31, the plurality of laminated base material carry-in rollers 32, the release roller 33, the plurality of first support film carry-out rollers 34, and the first support film recovery roller 35 are all arranged in parallel with the suction roller 10. To.

The laminated base material 94 before supply is wound around the laminated base material supply roller 31 so that the first support film 93 is on the outside. In the present embodiment, the first electrode layer 9a is formed in advance on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 opposite to the first support film 93 (hereinafter referred to as “back surface”). The first electrode layer 9a contains the first catalyst particles. In the first electrode layer 9a, in a device different from the manufacturing device 1, the laminated base material 94 composed of two layers of the first support film 93 and the electrolyte film 92 is directly conveyed by a roll-to-roll method. At the same time, the electrode material is intermittently applied to the back surface of the electrolyte membrane 92, and the applied electrode material is dried to form the electrode material.

The laminated base material supply roller 31 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the laminated base material supply roller 31 rotates, the laminated base material 94 is fed out from the laminated base material supply roller 31. The unwound laminated base material 94 is conveyed to the peeling roller 33 along a predetermined carry-in route while being guided by a plurality of laminated base material carry-in rollers 32 which are transport rollers. The back surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 and the first electrode layer 9a are exposed without being covered by the support film.

The peeling roller 33 is a roller for peeling the first support film 93 from the electrolyte membrane 92. The peeling roller 33 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a diameter smaller than that of the suction roller 10. At least the outer peripheral surface of the peeling roller 33 is formed of an elastic body. The peeling roller 33 is arranged adjacent to the suction roller 10 slightly downstream of the position where the porous base material 91 is introduced with respect to the suction roller 10 in the rotation direction of the suction roller 10. Further, the peeling roller 33 is pressurized to the suction roller 10 side by an air cylinder (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, the laminated base material 94 carried in by the plurality of laminated base material carrying rollers 32 is introduced between the suction roller 10 and the peeling roller 33. At this time, the back surface of the electrolyte membrane 92, together with the first electrode layer 9a, is in contact with the surface of the porous base material 91 held by the adsorption roller 10, and the first support film 93 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the release roller 33. To do. Further, the laminated base material 94 is pressed toward the suction roller 10 by the pressure received from the peeling roller 33. A negative pressure is generated on the surface of the porous base material 91 held by the suction roller 10 due to the suction force from the suction roller 10. The electrolyte membrane 92 is adsorbed on the surface of the porous base material 91 by the negative pressure. Then, the electrolyte membrane 92 is conveyed in an arc shape by the rotation of the adsorption roller 10 while being held by the adsorption roller 10 together with the porous base material 91. In FIG. 2, for easy understanding, the porous base material 91 and the electrolyte membrane 92 held by the adsorption roller 10 are shown at intervals.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the porous base material 91 is interposed between the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 10 and the electrolyte membrane 92. Therefore, the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller 10 and the first electrode layer 9a formed on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 do not come into direct contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a part of the first electrode layer 9a from adhering to the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10 and foreign matter from being transferred from the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10 to the electrolyte membrane 92.

On the other hand, the first support film 93 that has passed between the suction roller 10 and the release roller 33 is separated from the suction roller 10 and conveyed to the plurality of first support film unloading rollers 34. As a result, the first support film 93 is peeled off from the electrolyte membrane 92. As a result, the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 opposite to the back surface (hereinafter referred to as "front surface") is exposed. The peeled first support film 93 is conveyed to the first support film recovery roller 35 along a predetermined carry-out route while being guided by the plurality of first support film carry-out rollers 34. The first support film recovery roller 35 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). As a result, the first support film 93 is wound around the first support film recovery roller 35.

The material supply unit 40 is a mechanism for applying an electrode material to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 around the adsorption roller 10. As the electrode material, for example, a catalyst ink (electrode paste) in which second catalyst particles containing platinum (Pt) are dispersed in a solvent such as alcohol is used. As shown in FIG. 1, the material supply unit 40 has a nozzle 41. The nozzle 41 is provided on the downstream side of the peeling roller 33 in the transport direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the suction roller 10. The nozzle 41 has a discharge port 411 facing the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10. The discharge port 411 is a slit-shaped opening extending horizontally along the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10.

The nozzle 41 is connected to an electrode material source (not shown). When the material supply unit 40 is driven, the electrode material is supplied from the electrode material supply source to the nozzle 41 through a pipe. Then, the electrode material is discharged from the discharge port 411 of the nozzle 41 toward the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. As a result, the electrode material is applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92.

In the present embodiment, the electrode material is intermittently discharged from the discharge port 411 of the nozzle 41 by opening and closing the valve provided in the supply pipe connected to the nozzle 41 in a flow path at a constant cycle. As a result, the electrode material is intermittently applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 at regular intervals in the transport direction. However, the valve may be continuously opened and the electrode material may be applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 without a break in the transport direction.

As the catalyst particles in the electrode material, a material that causes a fuel cell reaction at the anode or cathode of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is used. Specifically, particles such as platinum (Pt), platinum alloy, and platinum compound can be used as catalyst particles. Examples of the platinum alloy include at least one selected from the group consisting of ruthenium (Ru), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), molybdenum (Mo), iridium (Ir), iron (Fe) and the like. An alloy of metal and platinum can be mentioned. Generally, platinum is used as the electrode material for the cathode, and platinum alloy is used as the electrode material for the anode. The electrode material discharged from the nozzle 41 may be for a cathode or an anode. However, electrode materials having opposite polarities are used for the electrode layers 9a and 9b formed on the front and back surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 92.

It is necessary to periodically perform maintenance such as disassembly and cleaning of the nozzle 41 and the piping of the material supply unit 40. Therefore, the manufacturing apparatus 1 has a maintenance space 2 for performing maintenance of the material supply unit 40. In the present embodiment, the maintenance space 2 is arranged between the material supply unit 40 and the first support film recovery roller 35. When performing maintenance on the material supply unit 40, an operator 3 stands on the scaffolding 201 provided in the maintenance space 2 to clean the parts constituting the material supply unit 40 and the like.

The drying furnace 50 is a portion for drying the electrode material applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The drying furnace 50 of the present embodiment is arranged on the downstream side of the material supply unit 40 in the transport direction of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the adsorption roller 10. Further, the drying furnace 50 is provided in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface of the suction roller 10. The drying furnace 50 blows a heated gas (hot air) on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 around the adsorption roller 10. Then, the electrode material applied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 is heated, and the solvent in the electrode material is vaporized. As a result, the electrode material is dried, and an electrode layer (hereinafter, referred to as “second electrode layer 9b”) is formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. As a result, a membrane-electrode layer junction 95 composed of an electrolyte membrane 92, a first electrode layer 9a, and a second electrode layer 9b is obtained.

The joint body recovery unit 60 is a portion where the second support film 96 is attached to the membrane / electrode layer joint body 95 to recover the membrane / electrode layer joint body 95. As shown in FIG. 1, the joint body recovery unit 60 includes a second support film supply roller 61, a plurality of second support film carry-in rollers 62, a laminate roller 63, a plurality of joint carry-out rollers 64 which are transport rollers, and a joint. It has a recovery roller 65. The second support film supply roller 61, the plurality of second support film carry-in rollers 62, the laminate roller 63, the plurality of joint carry-out rollers 64, and the joint recovery roller 65 are all arranged in parallel with the suction roller 10.

The second support film 96 before supply is wound around the second support film supply roller 61. The second support film supply roller 61 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). When the second support film supply roller 61 rotates, the second support film 96 is fed out from the second support film supply roller 61. The fed out second support film 96 is conveyed to the laminate roller 63 along a predetermined carry-in route while being guided by a plurality of second support film carry-in rollers 62.

As the material of the second support film 96, a resin having higher mechanical strength than the electrolyte membrane 92 and having an excellent shape-retaining function is used. Specific examples of the second support film 96 include PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) and PET (polyethylene terephthalate) films. The film thickness of the second support film 96 is, for example, 25 μm to 100 μm. The second support film 96 may be the same as the first support film 93. Further, the first support film 93 wound around the first support film recovery roller 35 may be unwound from the second support film supply roller 61 as the second support film 96.

The laminate roller 63 is a roller for attaching the second support film 96 to the film / electrode layer joint body 95. As the material of the laminate roller 63, for example, rubber having high heat resistance is used. The laminating roller 63 has a cylindrical outer peripheral surface having a diameter smaller than that of the suction roller 10. The laminating roller 63 is arranged adjacent to the suction roller 10 in the rotation direction of the suction roller 10 on the downstream side of the drying furnace 50 and on the upstream side of the position where the porous base material 91 is separated from the suction roller 10. .. Further, the laminating roller 63 is pressurized to the suction roller 10 side by an air cylinder (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 2, a heater 631 that generates heat when energized is provided inside the laminating roller 63. As the heater 631, for example, a sheathed heater is used. When the heater 631 is energized, the heat generated from the heater 631 adjusts the outer peripheral surface of the laminate roller 63 to a predetermined temperature higher than the environmental temperature. The temperature of the outer peripheral surface of the laminate roller 63 is measured using a temperature sensor such as a radiation thermometer, and based on the measurement result, the output of the heater 631 is set so that the outer peripheral surface of the laminate roller 63 becomes a constant temperature. May be controlled.

As shown in FIG. 2, the second support film 96 carried in by the plurality of second support film carry-in rollers 62 is between the film / electrode layer joint 95 and the laminate roller 63 carried around the suction roller 10. Introduced to. At this time, the second support film 96 is pressed against the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 by the pressure from the laminate roller 63, and is heated by the heat of the laminate roller 63. As a result, the second support film 96 is attached to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The second electrode layer 9b formed on the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 is sandwiched between the electrolyte membrane 92 and the second support film 96.

The film-electrode layer joint 95 with the second support film 96 that has passed between the suction roller 10 and the laminate roller 63 is conveyed in a direction away from the suction roller 10. As a result, the film / electrode layer joint 95 is peeled off from the porous base material 91.

Further, in the present embodiment, the pressing roller 66 is arranged in the vicinity of the laminating roller 63. The pressing roller 66 is arranged adjacent to the laminating roller 63 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the membrane / electrode layer joint 95 from the gap between the suction roller 10 and the laminating roller 63. Further, the pressing roller 66 is pressurized to the laminating roller 63 side by an air cylinder (not shown). The film-electrode layer joint 95 with the second support film 96 separated from the porous base material 91 subsequently passes between the laminating roller 63 and the pressing roller 66. As a result, the adhesion of the second support film 96 to the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 is improved.

After that, the film-electrode layer joint 95 with the second support film 96 is guided by a plurality of joint carry-out rollers 64 while being inspected by the inspection unit 70 described later. Then, the film-electrode layer joint body 95 with the second support film 96 is conveyed to the joint body recovery roller 65 along a predetermined carry-out route. The joint recovery roller 65 is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). As a result, the film-electrode layer joint 95 with the second support film 96 is wound around the joint recovery roller 65 so that the second support film 96 is on the outside.

As described above, in the manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the laminated base material 94 is fed out from the laminated base material supply roller 31, the first support film 93 is peeled off from the electrolyte membrane 92, and the electrode material is applied to the electrolyte membrane 92. , Drying in the drying furnace 50, attaching the second support film 96 to the electrolyte membrane 92, inspecting by the inspection unit 70, and winding the membrane / electrode layer joint 95 on the joint recovery roller 65 in sequence. Is executed. As a result, the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 used for the electrodes of the polymer electrolyte fuel cell is manufactured. The electrolyte membrane 92 is always held by the first support film 93, the adsorption roller 10, or the second support film 96. As a result, deformation such as swelling and contraction of the electrolyte membrane 92 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 is suppressed.

The control unit 80 is a means for controlling the operation of each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical connection relationship between the control unit 80 and each unit in the manufacturing apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 80 is composed of a computer having a calculation unit 81 such as a CPU, a memory 82 such as a RAM, and a storage unit 83 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program P for executing a manufacturing process of the membrane-electrode layer joint is installed in the storage unit 83.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the control unit 80 includes the rotation drive unit 11 of the suction roller 10, the suction mechanism of the suction roller 10, the motor of the porous base material supply roller 21, and the porous base material recovery roller 24. Motor, motor of laminated base material supply roller 31, air cylinder of peeling roller 33, motor of first support film recovery roller 35, material supply unit 40, drying furnace 50, motor of second support film supply roller 61, laminate roller 63 The air cylinder, the heater 631 of the laminating roller 63, the air cylinder of the pressing roller 66, the motor of the joint recovery roller 65, and the inspection unit 70 and the marking unit 79, which will be described later, are each communicably connected.

The control unit 80 temporarily reads the computer program P and data stored in the storage unit 83 into the memory 82, and the calculation unit 81 performs arithmetic processing based on the computer program P to operate each of the above units. Control. As a result, the manufacturing process of the film-electrode layer bonded body in the manufacturing apparatus 1 proceeds.

<2. Inspection section and marking section>
Subsequently, the inspection unit 70 and the marking unit 79 in the manufacturing apparatus 1 described above will be described.

The inspection unit 70 is a mechanism for inspecting the electrode layers 9a and 9b formed on the electrolyte membrane 92. The inspection unit 70 of the present embodiment has a first inspection unit 71 and a second inspection unit 72. The first inspection unit 71 is arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction from the laminate roller 63, and inspects the electrode layers 9a and 9b formed on the electrolyte membrane 92 after the electrolyte membrane 92 is separated from the adsorption roller 10.

The first inspection unit 71 has a visual inspection unit 73 and a total loading amount inspection unit 74a. The appearance inspection unit 73 is a mechanism for inspecting the appearance of the electrode layers 9a and 9b formed on the electrolyte membrane 92, such as the shape and formation position. The appearance inspection unit 73 is realized by, for example, a line sensor having an optical system such as a lens and an image pickup element such as a CCD or CMOS. However, the visual inspection unit 73 may be realized by other means. The image acquired by the visual inspection unit 73 is input to the control unit 80 and image processing is performed. Then, the control unit 80 determines from the image-processed image whether or not the electrode layers 9a and 9b have defects such as abnormal formation position, adhesion of foreign matter, and damage.

As shown in FIG. 1, the appearance inspection unit 73 of the present embodiment includes an appearance inspection unit 73a for inspecting the first electrode layer 9a and an appearance inspection unit 73b for inspecting the second electrode layer 9b. The appearance inspection unit 73b is arranged on the downstream side in the transport direction from the laminate roller 63 and on the surface side of the film / electrode layer joint 95, and inspects the appearance of the second electrode layer 9b via the second support film 96. To do. Further, the appearance inspection unit 73a is arranged further downstream than the appearance inspection unit 73b in the transport direction and on the back surface side of the membrane / electrode layer joint 95, and inspects the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a and the second electrode layer 9b is poor. Further, since the electrolyte membrane 92 is adsorbed and supported by the adsorption roller 10, it can be determined whether or not there is a defect in the first electrode layer 9a.

The appearance inspection unit 73a of the present embodiment inspects the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a from the back surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92 that comes into contact with the joint carry-out roller 64, which is a transfer roller. The electrolyte membrane 92 during transportation is suppressed from bending at a position where it comes into contact with the joint carry-out roller 64. Therefore, the appearance inspection unit 73b can inspect the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a more accurately by inspecting the portion from the back surface.

The total supported amount inspection unit 74a inspects the supported amounts of the first catalyst particles and the second catalyst particles in the electrode layers 9a and 9b. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of inspection of the first catalyst particles and the second catalyst particles in the electrode layers 9a and 9b by the total carrier amount inspection unit 74a. FIG. 5 is a graph showing the supported amounts of the first catalyst particles and the second catalyst particles in the electrode layers 9a and 9b with respect to the transport distance of the electrolyte membrane 92 calculated by the control unit 80.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the total supported amount inspection unit 74a of the present embodiment includes an X-ray irradiation unit 75a and an X-ray detection unit 76a. The X-ray irradiation unit 75a is arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92. The X-ray detection unit 76a is arranged on the back surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92. However, the X-ray irradiation unit 75a may be arranged on the back surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92, and the X-ray detection unit 76a may be arranged on the front surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92. The X-rays irradiated by the X-ray irradiation unit 75a pass through the second support film 96, the second electrode layer 9b, the electrolyte membrane 92 and the first electrode layer 9a, and are taken out from the back surface side. Then, the X-rays taken out from the back surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92 are detected by the X-ray detection unit 76a.

A part of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray irradiation unit 75a is absorbed by the first catalyst particles in the first electrode layer 9a and the second catalyst particles in the second electrode layer 9b. Therefore, the intensity of the X-rays detected by the X-ray detection unit 76a is lower than the intensity of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray irradiation unit 75a. The X-ray detection unit 76a inputs the detected X-ray intensity to the control unit 80. The control unit 80 calculates the X-ray transmittance from the difference between the intensity of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray irradiation unit 75a and the intensity of the X-rays detected by the X-ray detection unit 76a. Then, the control unit 80 totals the first catalyst particles in the first electrode layer 9a and the second catalyst particles in the second electrode layer 9b from the calculated X-ray transmission rate, the data stored in advance, and the computer program. The total carrier amount D0, which is the carrier amount of the above, is calculated.

The second inspection unit 72 is arranged on the upstream side in the transport direction with respect to the suction roller 10, and inspects the first electrode layer 9a formed on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane 92. The second inspection unit 72 of the present embodiment has a first carrier amount inspection unit 74b. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of inspection of the first catalyst particles in the first electrode layer 9a by the first carrier amount inspection unit 74b. FIG. 7 is a graph showing the amount of the first catalyst particles supported in the first electrode layer 9a with respect to the transport distance of the electrolyte membrane 92 calculated by the control unit 80.

The first carrier amount inspection unit 74b has an X-ray irradiation unit 75b and an X-ray detection unit 76b, similarly to the total carrier amount inspection unit 74a. The X-ray irradiation unit 75b is arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92. The X-ray detection unit 76b is arranged on the back surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92. The X-rays irradiated by the X-ray irradiation unit 75b pass through the electrolyte membrane 92, the first electrode layer 9a and the first support film 93, and are taken out from the back surface side. Then, the X-rays taken out from the back surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92 are detected by the X-ray detection unit 76b. The control unit 80 calculates the X-ray transmittance from the difference between the intensity of the X-rays emitted from the X-ray irradiation unit 75b and the intensity of the X-rays detected by the X-ray detection unit 76b. Then, the control unit 80 calculates the first supported amount D1, which is the supported amount of the first catalyst particles in the first electrode layer 9a, from the calculated X-ray transmittance, the data stored in advance, and the computer program.

The calculation unit 81 in the control unit 80 calculates the second supported amount, which is the supported amount of the second catalyst particles, from the difference between the total supported amount D0 and the first supported amount D1. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the second electrode layer 9b is defective. Further, if it is unlikely that a defect will occur in the second electrode layer 9b and the supported amount of the second catalyst particles can be assumed to be substantially constant, the second catalyst particles assumed to be substantially constant from the total supported amount D0. It is also possible to calculate the supported amount of the first catalyst particles in the first electrode layer 9a after being separated from the adsorption roller 10 by subtracting the supported amount of the above. In that case, the calculation unit 81 determines that the first supported amount D1 of the first catalyst particles before the electrolyte film 92 is adsorbed and supported by the adsorption roller 10 and the first catalyst particles after the electrolyte film 92 is separated from the adsorption roller 10. Can be compared with the amount carried. Thereby, the presence or absence of defects in the first electrode layer 9a can be determined from various angles.

Further, the control unit 80 determines that if the calculated second carrier amount becomes an abnormal value such as an extreme change, there is a possibility that a defect such as dropping has occurred in the first electrode layer 9a. .. As described above, the inspection unit 70 of the present embodiment can inspect the first electrode layer 9a depending on whether or not the second supported amount is an abnormal value. As a result, defects in the first electrode layer 9a can be inspected from more angles.

The marking portion 79 is a mechanism for marking the electrolyte membrane 92 or the second support film 96. Marking by the marking unit 79 is realized, for example, by ejecting marking ink by an inkjet ejection mechanism. The marking unit 79 marks the electrolyte membrane 92 or the second support film 96 in the vicinity of the electrode layers 9a and 9b, which are determined to be defective as a result of the inspection by the inspection unit 70.

The membrane-electrode layer joint 95 manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1 is then cut, and a gas diffusion film is attached to the electrode layers 9a and 9b formed on the front and back surfaces of the electrolyte membrane 92. Here, the electrode layers 9a and 9b determined to be defective can be easily removed using the marking as a mark before the step of attaching the gas diffusion film. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the film / electrode layer joint 95 having the defective electrode layers 9a and 9b from being used in the final product. As a result, the quality of the film / electrode layer bonded body 95 manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus 1 can be effectively controlled.

In particular, in this manufacturing apparatus 1, after the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 is separated from the adsorption roller 10, defects such as damage and adhesion of foreign matter occur in the first electrode layer 9a previously formed on the electrolyte membrane 92. You can inspect if you haven't. Therefore, the deterioration of the quality of the first electrode layer 9a due to the suction to the suction roller 10 can be found in the manufacturing apparatus 1. As a result, the quality of the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 can be effectively controlled, and the defect rate of the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 can be reduced. Further, based on the inspection result of the inspection unit 70, it is possible to determine whether or not the processing in the next step is necessary. Therefore, the production efficiency of the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 can be improved.

Further, based on the inspection result by the inspection unit 70, maintenance such as cleaning of the suction roller 10, the plurality of transfer rollers, and the nozzle 41 can be performed. In addition, the coating ink (catalyst ink) can be replaced, and the recipe for blending the coating ink can be confirmed. As a result, the defect rate of the membrane-electrode layer joint 95 can be reduced, and the yield can be improved.

Further, in the present embodiment, among the plurality of transport rollers, the plurality of joint carry-out rollers 64 on the downstream side in the transport direction from the laminate roller 63 are all arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane 92. That is, after being inspected by the first inspection unit 71, the back surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 and the joint carry-out roller 64 do not come into contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first electrode layer 9a from being defective due to the contact of the first electrode layer 9a with the transport roller after the inspection by the first inspection unit 71. Further, the joint carry-out roller 64 on the downstream side in the transport direction from the laminate roller 63 comes into contact with the surface of the electrolyte membrane 92 via the second support film 96. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of defects in the second electrode layer 9b. As a result, the reliability of the inspection by the inspection unit 70 can be improved.

<3. Modification example>
Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

In the above embodiment, the second inspection unit 72 has only the first carrier amount inspection unit 74b. However, the second inspection unit 72 may further have an appearance inspection unit that inspects the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a. Then, even if the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a before the electrolyte membrane 92 is adsorbed and supported by the adsorption roller 10 is compared with the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a after the electrolyte membrane 92 is separated from the adsorption roller 10. Good. In this way, it is possible to more accurately determine the presence or absence of defects in the first electrode layer 9a caused by the adsorption and support of the electrolyte membrane 92 by the adsorption roller 10.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first inspection unit 71 has one appearance inspection unit 73a for inspecting the first electrode layer 9a and one appearance inspection unit 73b for inspecting the second electrode layer 9b. However, the first inspection unit 71 may have a plurality of appearance inspection units 73a and 73b, respectively. Further, if the appearance of the first electrode layer 9a and the second electrode layer 9b can be inspected by any one of the appearance inspection units 73a and b, the other may be omitted.

Further, among the plurality of transport rollers of the above embodiment, some of them may be adhesive rollers. By doing so, the transport roller can remove the foreign matter adhering to the electrolyte membrane 92 while transporting the electrolyte membrane 92.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the laminated base material 94 composed of two layers of the electrolyte membrane 92 and the first support film 93 is supplied from the laminated base material supply roller 31 as the electrolyte membrane supply roller has been described. However, the electrolyte membrane supply roller may be one that feeds out the electrolyte membrane 92 to which the first support film 93 is not attached.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the bonded body recovery roller 65 winds up the electrolyte membrane 92 with the second support film 96 has been described. However, the bonded body recovery roller 65 may wind up the electrolyte membrane 92 to which the second support film 96 is not attached.

Further, the detailed configuration of the manufacturing apparatus 1 may be different from each drawing of the present application. Further, the elements appearing in the above-described embodiments and modifications may be appropriately combined as long as there is no contradiction.

1,1a Manufacturing equipment 2 Maintenance space 3 Worker 9a 1st electrode layer 9b 2nd electrode layer 10 Adsorption roller 20 Porous base material transport part 30 Electrolyte film supply part 40 Material supply part 63 Laminate roller 64 Joined body carry-out roller 65 Joined Body recovery roller 70 Inspection unit 71 1st inspection unit 72 2nd inspection unit 73, 73a, 73b Appearance inspection unit 74a Total load amount inspection unit 74b 1st load amount inspection unit 79 Marking unit 80 Control unit 91 Porous base material 92 Electrolyte Film 93 1st support film 94 Laminated base material 95 Film / electrode layer joint 96 2nd support film

Claims (14)

A membrane-electrode layer joint manufacturing apparatus having a first electrode layer on the back surface of an electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane.
A plurality of transport rollers for transporting the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane having the first electrode layer containing the first catalyst particles on the back surface in the transport direction, which is the longitudinal direction thereof.
The back surface of the electrolyte membrane transported by the plurality of transport rollers is sucked and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the suction roller is rotated around the axis thereof.
An electrode material containing the second catalyst particles is supplied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller, and a material supply unit that forms the second electrode layer.
One or more inspection units that inspect the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller.
With
The inspection unit
After the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller, the total support for inspecting the supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer and the supported amount of the second catalyst particles contained in the second electrode layer. Quantitative inspection department and
The supported amount of the second catalyst particles is obtained by subtracting the first supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer obtained in advance from the total supported amount obtained by the total supported amount inspection unit. The calculation unit to be sought and
Manufacturing equipment with. A membrane-electrode layer joint manufacturing apparatus having a first electrode layer on the back surface of an electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane.
A plurality of transport rollers for transporting the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane having the first electrode layer containing the first catalyst particles on the back surface in the transport direction, which is the longitudinal direction thereof.
The back surface of the electrolyte membrane transported by the plurality of transport rollers is sucked and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface thereof, and the suction roller is rotated around the axis thereof.
An electrode material containing the second catalyst particles is supplied to the surface of the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller, and a material supply unit that forms the second electrode layer.
One or more inspection units that inspect the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller.
With
Among the plurality of transfer rollers, the transfer roller on the downstream side in the transfer direction from the inspection unit is a manufacturing apparatus arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1.
The inspection unit inspects the first supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte film before the electrolyte film reaches the adsorption roller. A manufacturing device further having a quantity inspection unit. The manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 3.
The calculation unit obtains the second supported amount of the second catalyst particles from the total supported amount and the first supported amount.
The inspection unit is a manufacturing apparatus that inspects the first electrode layer depending on whether or not the second supported amount is an abnormal value. The manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A manufacturing apparatus further comprising a porous base material transporting portion that transports a long strip-shaped porous base material while interposing it between the adsorption roller and the electrolyte membrane. The manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
A manufacturing apparatus further comprising a marking portion for marking in the vicinity of the first electrode layer determined to be defective based on the inspection result of the inspection portion. The manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
A manufacturing apparatus in which the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and the first electrode layer are adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller in an exposed state. A method for producing a membrane-electrode layer junction having a first electrode layer on the back surface of an electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane.
a) The back surface of the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane on which the first electrode layer containing the first catalyst particles is formed is adsorbed and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller, and the adsorption roller is placed around the axis thereof. The transport process of transporting the electrolyte membrane while rotating, and
b) A step of supplying an electrode material containing the second catalyst particles to the surface of the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller to form the second electrode layer.
c) A step of inspecting the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller.
Including
In step c),
e) A step of inspecting the supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer and the supported amount of the second catalyst particles contained in the second electrode layer.
f) The second supported amount of the second catalyst particles is obtained by subtracting the supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer obtained in advance from the total supported amount obtained in the step e). The desired process and
Manufacturing method having. A method for producing a membrane-electrode layer junction having a first electrode layer on the back surface of an electrolyte membrane and a second electrode layer on the surface of the electrolyte membrane.
a) The back surface of the long strip-shaped electrolyte membrane on which the first electrode layer containing the first catalyst particles is formed is adsorbed and held by a part of the outer peripheral surface of the adsorption roller, and the adsorption roller is placed around the axis thereof. The transport process of transporting the electrolyte membrane while rotating, and
b) A step of supplying an electrode material containing the second catalyst particles to the surface of the electrolyte membrane that moves while being adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller to form the second electrode layer.
c) A step of inspecting the first electrode layer after the electrolyte membrane is separated from the adsorption roller.
Including
A manufacturing method in which the electrolyte membrane is transported by a plurality of transport rollers arranged on the surface side of the electrolyte membrane after the step c). The manufacturing method according to claim 8.
It further comprises a step of inspecting the first supported amount of the first catalyst particles contained in the first electrode layer on the back surface of the electrolyte membrane before the electrolyte membrane reaches the adsorption roller.
In step f), a production method for obtaining the second supported amount of the second catalyst particles by subtracting the first supported amount from the total supported amount. The manufacturing method according to claim 8 or 10.
In the step c), a manufacturing method for inspecting the first electrode layer depending on whether or not the second supported amount is an abnormal value. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 8 to 11.
In the step a), a manufacturing method in which a long strip-shaped porous base material is conveyed while being interposed between the adsorption roller and the electrolyte membrane. The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.
g) A manufacturing method further comprising a step of marking the vicinity of the first electrode layer determined to be defective based on the inspection result of the step c). The manufacturing method according to any one of claims 8 to 13.
In the step a), a manufacturing method in which the back surface of the electrolyte membrane and the first electrode layer are adsorbed and held by the adsorption roller in an exposed state.

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