Fuel cell component with coating including nanoparticles
A product comprising a fuel cell component comprising a substrate and a coating overlying the substrate, the coating comprising nanoparticles having sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nanometers.
1. A process comprising depositing a slurry over at least a portion of a fuel cell bipolar plate, the slurry comprising hydrophilic nanoparticles having a sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nm and a hydrophilic side chain covalently attached to the nanoparticles, and a vehicle;
and driving off the vehicle to leave a hydrophilic coating comprising nanoparticles having sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nm.
2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles have sizes ranging from about 2 to about 20 nm.
3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles have sizes ranging from about 2 to about 5 nm.
4. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles comprises at least one of SiO 2 , HfO 2 , ZrO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , SnO 2 , Ta 2 O 5 , Nb 2 O 5 , MoO 2 , IrO 2 , RuO 2 , metastable oxynitrides, nonstoichiometric metal oxides, oxynitrides, or derivatives thereof.
5. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles include at least one of hydroxyl, halide, carboxyl, ketonic or aldehyde functional groups.
6. A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein the nanoparticles further comprise organic side chains having functional groups.
7. A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein the hydrophilic side chains include at least one of amino, sulfonate, sulfate, sulfite, sulfonamide, sulfoxide, carboxylate, polyol, polyether, phosphate, or phosphonate groups.
8. A process as set forth in claim 5 wherein the functional groups comprise at least one of epoxy, acryloxy, methacryloxy, glycidyloxy, allyl, vinyl, carboxyl, mercapto, hydroxyl, amide or amino, isocyano, hydroxy, or silanol groups.
9. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the coating comprises 10 to 90% inorganic structures, and 5 to 70% hydrophilic side chains.
10. A process as set forth in claim 9 wherein the inorganic structures are silicon dioxide or nonstoichiometric silicon oxide.
11. A process as set forth in claim 9 wherein the inorganic structures comprise zirconium oxide.
12. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the nanoparticles have a nodule shape.
13. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein the bipolar plate includes a gas flow field including a plurality of lands and channels, and wherein the coating is over the lands and channels.
14. A process as set forth in claim 13 further comprising removing the coating from the lands.
15. A process as set forth in claim 14 and further comprising depositing a mask over the coating that is over the channels and removing the coating over the lands, and thereafter removing any remaining portion of the mask.
16. A process as set forth in claim 13 wherein the slurry is deposited only over the channels.
17. A process as set forth in claim 13 wherein the slurry is deposited over only a portion of the channel.
18. A process as set forth in claim 13 wherein the depositing of a slurry over at least a portion of a fuel cell bipolar plate comprises flowing the slurry through the flow field.
19. A process as set forth in claim 13 further comprising depositing a mask over a portion of the bipolar plate prior to depositing the slurry, and wherein the mask leaves portions of the bipolar plate exposed.
20. A process as set forth in claim 19 wherein the slurry is deposited over the mask and exposed portions of the bipolar plate.
21. A process as set forth in claim 20 further comprising removing the mask and the coating over the mask.
22. A process as set forth in claim 19 wherein the mask comprises one of a hard mask, photoresist mask, or water washable mask.
23. A process as set forth in claim 22 wherein the mask is over the lands.
24. A process comprising depositing a slurry on at least a portion of a fuel cell bipolar plate, the slurry comprising hydrophile nanoparticles having a sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nm and a hydrophilic side chain covalently attached to the nanoparticles, and a vehicle;
and driving off the vehicle to leave a hydrophilic coating comprising nanoparticles having sizes ranging from 2 to 100 nm on the portion of the fuel cell bipolar plate.