Use of ultrasonic processes for catalyst layer transfer in catalyst coated membrane manufacture

The demand for membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) from a future automotive market is such that a step change in manufacturing towards continuous processes will be required. A bottleneck in such a process results from the time- and energy-consuming heat and pressure processes used in decal transfer of the catalyst layer to the proton exchange membrane to form the catalyst coated membrane (CCM). This project will investigate the feasibility of using ultrasonic energy as an alternative heat source in an innovative, faster and more efficient decal transfer process. The application of such a process to a continuous reel-to-reel CCM manufacturing line will be assessed.