Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Oct 27;12(11):1050.
doi: 10.3390/membranes12111050.

Characterization of Commercial Polymer-Carbon Composite Bipolar Plates Used in PEM Fuel Cells

Miroslav Hala  1 , Jakub Mališ  1 , Martin Paidar  1 , Karel Bouzek  1
Affiliations

Characterization of Commercial Polymer-Carbon Composite Bipolar Plates Used in PEM Fuel Cells

Miroslav Hala et al. Membranes (Basel). .

Abstract

Bipolar plates represent a crucial component of the PEM fuel cell stack. Polymer-carbon composites are recognized as state-of-the-art materials for bipolar plate manufacturing, but their use involves a compromise between electrical and heat conductivity, mechanical strength and costs. Thus, all key parameters must be considered when selecting a suitable plate satisfying the demands of the desired application. However, data relevant to commercial materials for such selection are scarce in the open literature. To address this issue, 13 commercially available polymer-carbon composites are characterised in terms of the following parameters: through-plane conductivity, hydrogen permeability, mechanical strength, water uptake, density, water contact angle and chemical stability. None of the materials tested reached the DOE target for electrical conductivity, while five of the materials met the target for flexural strength. The overall best-performing material showed a conductivity value of 50.4 S·cm-1 and flexural strength of 40.1 MPa. The data collected provide important supporting information in selecting the materials most suitable for the desired application. In addition, the key parameters determined for each bipolar plate supply important input parameters for the mathematical modelling of fuel cells.

Keywords: PEM; bipolar plate; carbon–polymer composites; electrical conductivity; fuel cell; material selection; mechanical strength.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Studied BP parameters and the related aspects.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Dimensions of the samples for the measurement of (a) flexural strength, (b) tensile strength, and (c) hardness.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Image of a sample used for evaluation of the BP material’s permeability for hydrogen.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Scheme of the apparatus used to determine BP material’s permeability for hydrogen. Gas is filled into the reservoir by valve V1. Then, the reservoir is connected by opening valve V2 to the chamber with the sample. The pressure sensor P1 records the pressure in the reservoir. The pressure sensor P2 measures the atmospheric pressure.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Through-plane electrical conductivity of the BPs tested.
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM images of the surface of Eisenhuth Melange 6 (left) and MEGA Extrusion (right).
Figure 7
Figure 7
Flexural and tensile strength of the BPs tested. DOE 2020 and 2025 target values [23,24] for flexural strength are shown as green and purple lines, respectively.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Hardness of the BP materials tested.
Figure 9
Figure 9
Through-plane conductivity and flexural strength vs. binder content. (1) Eisenhuth BMA 5, (2) Eisenhuth BMA 6, (3) Eisenhuth Melange, (4) Eisenhuth Melange 6, (5) Eisenhuth PP, (6) Eisenhuth PPG 86, (7) Eisenhuth PPS, (8) MEGA Extrusion, (9) MEGA Compression, (10) SGL Carbon TF6, (11) SGL FR10, (12) Shin Etsu BPB-B350, (13) Shin Etsu BPB-PP.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Hydrogen permeability values for BPs tested. DOE 2020 and 2025 target values [23,24] for hydrogen permeability are shown as green and purple lines, respectively.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Weight percent of water in the samples after seven days’ swelling at 25, 50, and 80 °C.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Image of the SGL Carbon TF 6 sample with the layered structure clearly visible.
Figure 13
Figure 13
Chemical degradation extent of the BPs tested.
Figure 14
Figure 14
SEM images of the fracture plane of Eisenhuth PPS before chemical degradation (A), after chemical degradation (B), Shin Etsu BPB-PP before chemical degradation (C) and after chemical degradation (D).
Figure 15
Figure 15
Contact angle of the individual BP materials under study.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ajanovic A., Haas R. Prospects and impediments for hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles in the transport sector. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy. 2021;46:10049–10058. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.03.122. - DOI
    1. Sun C., Negro E., Vezzù K., Pagot G., Cavinato G., Nale A., Herve Bang Y., Di Noto V. Hybrid inorganic-organic proton-conducting membranes based on SPEEK doped with WO3 nanoparticles for application in vanadium redox flow batteries. Electrochim. Acta. 2019;309:311–325. doi: 10.1016/j.electacta.2019.03.056. - DOI
    1. Nazir H., Muthuswamy N., Louis C., Jose S., Prakash J., Buan M.E.M., Flox C., Chavan S., Shi X., Kauranen P., et al. Is the H2 economy realizable in the foreseeable future? Part III: H2 usage technologies, applications, and challenges and opportunities. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy. 2020;45:28217–28239. doi: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2020.07.256. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Guerrero Moreno N., Cisneros Molina M., Gervasio D., Pérez Robles J.F. Approaches to polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) and their cost. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2015;52:897–906. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2015.07.157. - DOI
    1. Thompson S.T., James B.D., Huya-Kouadio J.M., Houchins C., DeSantis D.A., Ahluwalia R., Wilson A.R., Kleen G., Papageorgopoulos D. Direct hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle cost analysis: System and high-volume manufacturing description, validation, and outlook. J. Power Sources. 2018;399:304–313. doi: 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2018.07.100. - DOI