TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Property: The polymer is amorphous polymer or crystalline or semicrystalline polymer having melting point of less than 315degreesC, preferably less than 250degreesC. Polymers (IA,IIA) having weight average molecular weight of less than 500000 Daltons, are hydrophobic or hydrophilic, preferably polymer (IA) is hydrophilic having ionic moieties, and (IIA) is hydrophobic. The layer (1) contains 0.05 to 25 mg/cm2 of polymer (IA). The layer (5) has thickness of 1-100 mum, a coating weight of 0.1-20 mg/cm2 and porosity of 50-85%.Preferred Polymer: The hydrophobic polymer is copolymer of vinylidene fluoride, tetrafluoroethylene, and optionally hexafluoropropylene, perfluoroalkylvinylethers, and/or perfluorosulfonylfluoride alkoxyvinylethers. The hydrophilic polymer is an ionomer having monomer units of formula (I).-CX1X2-CX3X4- (I)X1-4 = halogen or fluorine.At least 2 of X1-4 are fluorine or perfluoroalkenyl monomers having ionic pendant groups of formula (II).-(O-CF2CFR)a-O-CF2(CFR')bSO3-H+ (II)R and R' = fluorine, chlorine or perfluorinated 1-10C alkyl;a = 0,1 or 2;b = 0-6.X1-X4 are all fluorines, R is perfluoromethyl, a is 0 or 1, R' is fluorine and b is 1. The hydrophobic polymer is preferably copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene and monomer selected from hexafluoropropylene, perfluoroalkyl vinyl ethers and/or 2,2- bistrifluoromethyl-4,5-difluoro-1,3-dioxole. The fluorinated polymers (IA,IIA) consist of fluorinated ionomer comprising 6 mol% or more of monomer units having fluorinated pendant group with terminal ionic group and/or copolymer or terpolymer of polyvinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene. The solid electrolyte membrane comprises perfluorinated polymer.Preferred Composition: The component (Q) is a plasticizer. EXAMPLE - 25 cmx45 cm of Toray H60 (RTM; carbon paper) having bulk density of 0.46 g/ml, gas permeability of 30 mm Aq/mm, electrical resistivity of 0.07 ohm-cm and average thickness of 180 mum, was soaked in a solution. The solution was prepared by diluting 30 g of 10 wt.% solution of Nafion(RTM; perfluorosulfonate ionomer) in Fluorinert FC-70(RTM: sulfonyl fluoride) in 220 g of Fluorinert FC-40(RTM; perfluorocarbon). The carbon paper was soaked in the prepared solution for 2 minutes and air-dried overnight. The carbon paper having 0.45 mg/cm2 of Nafion(RTM; perfluorosulfonate ionomer) was baked in an oven at 150degreesC for one hour. Acetone (in g) (685) was mixed with propylene carbonate (90) (high boiling component) and Kynar 2801(RTM; high viscosity fluoropolymer) (30) for 30 minutes with a mixing impeller. Vulcan XC-72(RTM; Carbon Black) (45) was added to the resulting mixture. Zirconium cylindrical beads (850) were added to the resultant mixture and rolled at 60 rpm for 6-8 hours at room temperature. The slurry was then screened with the container lid having holes of diameter of 0.0625 inch. The slurry was applied to carbon paper using a rod with 0.4 mm spacers under each end of the rod. The rod was pulled over the top of the treated paper manually. The treated carbon paper was air dried overnight and baked in an oven in air for 2 hours at 93degreesC to remove propylene carbonate. The power density of the fuel cell containing the carbon paper, was favorable.