Low-cost, high-performance composite bipolar plate

1. A method of making a bipolar plate of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell from a conductive composite particle or material, comprising:

providing a powdered host particle, wherein the powdered host particle is a powder from a resin of polymethylpentene of a particle size greater than 5 μm;

providing a conductive additive with a softening or melting temperature higher than the melting point of the powdered host particle, wherein the conductive additive consists essentially of graphite and graphene oxide;

mixing the powdered host particle and the powdered additive in a ball mill in a ratio 77:3:10 of graphite/graphene oxide/undoped polymethylpentene;

milling the powdered host and the powdered additive for a time sufficient to mix but not melt the powdered host particle to form an electrically conductive host-additive blend; and

extruding, stamping, or otherwise mass-producing the electrically conductive host-additive blend into the bipolar plate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive host-additive blend has at least one of the following properties: a bulk density less than 1.75 g/cm 3 , an electrical conductivity greater than 250 S/cm, or a Rockwell hardness >80.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bipolar plate is combined with additional bipolar plates to form a PEM fuel cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bipolar plate further comprises a plurality of formed serpentine flow fields on a first side of said bipolar plate and an interdigitated flow field on a second side of said bipolar plate, a plate margin having a first header aperture formed therethrough, a first port formed therethrough between said first header aperture and said serpentine flow fields, a second header aperture formed therethrough, and a second port formed therethrough between said second header aperture and said interdigitated flow field.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the bipolar plate further comprises a first seal disposed on said second side of said bipolar plate and having a first passageway formed therein to define a first fluid transmission path between said first header and a second passageway formed therein to define a second fluid transmission path between said second port and said interdigitated flow field.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the bipolar plate further comprises a second seal disposed on said first side of said bipolar plate and having a third passageway formed therein to define a third fluid communication path from said second header to said second port and a fourth passageway formed therein to define a fourth fluid communication path from said first port to said serpentine flow fields.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphene oxide is a crystalline, a flake, a flat, or an oxidized and stacked form.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the graphene oxide oxidation levels ranging from 0.01% to 25% by weight in ultra pure water.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of milling does not melt or reduced a graphite/graphene oxide/undoped polymethylpentene particle size by more than 20% by volume.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of milling is in a closed chamber for 10 to 100 minutes at 1,000 RPM or less to coat the powdered host particle.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of milling is in a sand or a bead having a 0.3 mm to 2 mm diameter and operated at 100-1,000 rpm.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of milling is in a horizontal or an attrition mill.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of milling is at 1,000-4,000 rpm without a medium.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proton exchange membrane is formed into a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conductive host-additive particle is formed into a bipolar plate assembly for a PEM fuel cell, and the bipolar plate comprises a formable resin with one or more conductive materials.