Granted Patent B2

US 9,379,393 · App. 11/644,122 · Granted Jun 28, 2016

Abstract

Claims (15)

1. A carbon-cladded composite fuel cell flow field plate or bipolar plate, said plate consisting of a first clad coated on or bonded to a first surface of a conductive composite layer, and a second clad coated on or bonded to a second surface of said conductive composite layer, wherein said first clad, composite layer, and second clad together form a three-layer sandwich structure and wherein

(a) said first clad or said second clad consists of conductive particles of nano-scaled graphene platelets that are substantially non-parallel to said first surface or said second surface of said composite layer such that the basal plane of said platelets are substantially non-parallel to said first surface or said second surface of said composite layer, wherein said first clad or said second clad has an exterior skin that contains 100% of the nano-scaled graphene platelet particles free from any resin;

(b) said conductive composite layer comprises a matrix resin and a conductive filler present in a sufficient quantity to render said composite layer electrically conductive with an electrical conductivity no less than 1 S/cm, wherein said matrix resin is selected from a thermoset resin, a semi-interpenetrating network, an interpenetrating network, a rubber, or a combination thereof and said first clad is bonded to said composite layer to eliminate a resin-rich layer from said first surface and said second clad is bonded to said composite layer to eliminate a resin-rich layer from said second surface; and

(c) said carbon-cladded composite has a planar outer surface, on said first clad or said second clad side, having formed therein a fluid flow channel.

2. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said matrix resin comprises a thermoset resin selected from the group consisting of unsaturated polyester resin, vinyl ester, epoxy, phenolic resin, polyimide resin, bismaleimide resin, polyurethane resin, and combinations thereof.

3. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said conductive filler comprises a conductive material selected from carbon fiber, metal fiber, carbon nano-tube, graphitic nano-fiber, carbon black, metal particle, graphite powder, or a combination thereof.

4. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first clad or second clad has a thickness smaller than 100 μm.

5. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first clad or second clad has a thickness smaller than 10 μm.

6. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said first clad or second clad has a thickness smaller than 1 μm.

7. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said composite layer has a thickness smaller than 100 μm.

8. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said three-layer sandwich structure has an electrical conductivity no less than 100 S/cm.

9. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , wherein said three-layer sandwich structure has an areal conductivity no less than 200 S/cm 2 .

10. The carbon-cladded composite flow field plate or bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 , further comprising a coolant channel.

11. A fuel cell comprising a flow field plate as defined in claim 1 .

12. A fuel cell stack comprising a plurality of fuel cell units separated by at least a bipolar plate as defined in claim 1 .

Assignments (9)