Component having improved surface contact resistance and reaction activity and methods of making the same
A component for an electrochemical device, the component including: a metallic substrate; and a plurality of particles bonded to a surface of the substrate by a metallurgical bond, wherein the particles include a metal, carbon, or a combination thereof, wherein the metallurgical bond is between the particles and the substrate, wherein a total projected area of the metallurgical bond is less than 90% of a total projected area of the substrate, and wherein the metallurgical bond has a composition which is a combination of a composition of the metallic substrate and a composition of the particle, a reaction product of the metallic substrate and the particle, or a combination thereof.
1. A component for an electrochemical device, the component comprising:
a substrate comprising a porous carbon material; and
a mixture of
a plurality of particles comprising carbon, and
a plurality of particles comprising metal bonded to a surface of the substrate,
wherein the particles comprising carbon are bonded to the surface of the substrate by the particles comprising metal through a metallurgical bond comprising a carbide.
2. The component of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprising carbon comprise amorphous carbon.
3. The component of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprising carbon comprise graphite.
4. The component of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprising carbon comprise carbon fiber.
5. The component of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise titanium.
6. The component of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise niobium.
7. The component of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise chromium.
8. The component of claim 1 , wherein the metal particles comprise tantalum.
9. The component of claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon material comprises carbon paper.
10. The component of claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon material comprises carbon felt.
11. An electrochemical device comprising the component of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is a fuel cell.
12. An electrochemical device comprising the component of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is a battery.
13. An electrochemical device comprising the component of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is an electrolyzer.
14. An electrochemical device comprising the component of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical device is a capacitor.
15. The component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprising carbon have an average particle size of 100 nanometers to 200 micrometers.
16. The component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprising metal bonded to the surface of the substrate have an average particle size of 50 nanometers to 10 micrometers.
17. The component of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of particles comprising carbon have an average particle size of 100 nanometers to 200 micrometers; and
the plurality of particles comprising metal bonded to the surface of the substrate have an average particle size of 50 nanometers to 10 micrometers.
18. The component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprising carbon have an average particle size of 500 nanometers to 200 micrometers.
19. The component of claim 18 , wherein the plurality of particles comprising metal bonded to the surface of the substrate have an average particle size of 100 nanometers to 5 micrometers.
20. The component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprising metal bonded to the surface of the substrate have an average particle size of 100 nanometers to 5 micrometers.