PVD Coated Bipolar Plates for PEM Fuel Cells

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 290-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuo-Jen Lee ◽  
Ching-Han Huang ◽  
Yu-Pang Chen ◽  
Chen-Te Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Corrosion Resistance ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Physical Vapor Deposition ◽  
Corrosion Current ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Coating Materials ◽  
Pvd Coating ◽  
Simulated Fuel

Aluminum was considered a good candidate material for bipolar plates of the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells due to its low cost, light weight, high strength and good manufacturability. But there were problems of both chemical and electrochemical corrosions in the PEM fuel cell operating environment. The major goals of this research are to find proper physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating materials which would enhance surface properties by making significant improvements on corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity at a reasonable cost. Several coating materials had been studied to analyze their corrosion resistance improvement. The corrosion rates of all materials were tested in a simulated fuel cell environment. The linear polarization curve of electrochemical method measured by potentiostat instrument was employed to determine the corrosion current. Results of the corrosion tests indicated that all of the coating materials had good corrosion resistance and were stable in the simulated fuel cell environment. The conductivities of the coated layers were better and the resistances changed very little after the corrosion test. At last, single fuel cells were made by each PVD coating material. Fuel cell tests were conducted to determine their performance w.r.t. that was made of graphite. The results of fuel cell tests indicated that metallic bipolar plates with PVD coating could be used in PEM fuel cells.

scholarly journals Evaluating the Effect of Metal Bipolar Plate Coating on the Performance of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 3203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwatosin Ijaodola ◽  
Emmanuel Ogungbemi ◽  
Fawwad Nisar. Khatib ◽  
Tabbi Wilberforce ◽  
Mohamad Ramadan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Corrosion Resistance ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Metal Foam ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Bipolar Plate ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Bipolar Plates

Environmental concerns of greenhouse gases (GHG) effect from fossil commodities and the fast increase in global energy demand have created awareness on the need to replace fossil fuels with other sources of clean energy. PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) is a promising source of energy to replace fossil fuels. The commercialization of the cell depends on its price, weight and mechanical strength. Bipolar plates are among the main components of PEMFC which perform some significant functions in the fuel cell stack. Metal bipolar plate is considered by the research community as the future material for fuel cells. However, surface coating is required for metals to enhance its corrosion resistance, hydrophilicity and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) in PEM fuel cells. Open pore cellular metal foam (OPCMF) materials have been used to replace the conventional flow field channel in recent times due to its low electrical resistance, high specific area and high porosity; however, it endures the same corrosion problem as the metallic bipolar plate. This investigation offers an overview on different types of bipolar plates and techniques in coating metallic bipolar platse and open pore metal foam as flow field channel materials to improve the corrosion resistance which will eventually increase the efficiency of the fuel cell appreciably.

Alloys that form conductive and passivating oxides for proton exchange membrane fuel cell bipolar plates

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1723-1729 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil Aukland ◽  
Abdellah Boudina ◽  
David S. Eddy ◽  
Joseph V. Mantese ◽  
Margarita P. Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Oxide Films ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Concentrated Solutions ◽  
Exchange Membrane

During the operation of proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, a high-resistance oxide is often formed on the cathode surface of base metal bipolar plates. Over time, this corrosion mechanism leads to a drop in fuel cell efficiency and potentially to complete failure. To address this problem, we have developed alloys capable of forming oxides that are both conductive and chemically stable under PEM fuel cell operating conditions. Five alloys of titanium with tantalum or niobium were investigated. The oxides were formed on the alloys by cyclic voltammetry in solutions mimicking the cathode- and anode-side environment of a PEM fuel cell. The oxides of all tested alloys had lower surface resistance than the oxide of pure titanium. We also investigated the chemical durability of Ti–Nb and Ti–Ta alloys in more concentrated solutions beyond those typically found in PEM fuel cells. The oxide films formed on Ti–Nb and Ti–Ta alloys remained conductive and chemically stable in these concentrated solutions. The stability of the oxide films was evaluated; Ti alloys having 3% Ta and Nb were identified as potential candidates for bipolar plate materials.

GOLD-PLATED TITANIUM VS CARBON-IMPLANTED TITANIUM AS MATERIAL FOR BIPOLAR PLATES IN PEM FUEL CELLS

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (08) ◽  
pp. 1950038
Author(s):  
M. S. VLASKIN ◽  
A. V. GRIGORENKO ◽  
E. I. SHKOLNIKOV ◽  
A. S. ILYUKHIN
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Performance Enhancement ◽  
Precious Metals ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Gas Diffusion ◽  
Electrical Performance ◽  
Carbon Ions ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Gold Plating

Three different types of current-collecting plates for air-hydrogen PEM fuel cell were manufactured and tested: unmodified titanium plates; gold-plated titanium plates and titanium plates treated by carbon ions implantation. It was shown that the applied surface modifications reduce contact resistance between titanium plate and carbon gas diffusion layer. Total ohmic resistance of fuel cell is reduced by 1.8 and 1.4 times in case of gold-plated titanium and carbon-implanted titanium, respectively, in comparison with uncoated titanium. Although gold plating turned out to be more profitable than carbon ion implantation in terms of electrical characteristics, in the last case, the performance enhancement was reached without using precious metals, which at mass production must play more important role. This technology promises to reduce the cost of bipolar plates manufacturing, while maintaining high electrical performance of PEM fuel cells.

PEM Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Reliability and Material Selection

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Ajersch ◽  
Michael W. Fowler ◽  
Kunal Karan ◽  
Brant A. Peppley
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Bipolar Plate ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Bipolar Plates

The majority of the research on PEM fuel cells to date has been focused on assessing fuel cell behavior in the early stages of its life cycle. However, as widespread commercialization approaches, PEM fuel cells will be required to operate reliably for increasingly longer periods of time. It therefore also becomes equally important to characterize fuel cell performance at the end of its lifecycle. The reliability of a PEM fuel cell is dependent on the material properties, the manufacturing methods, and the design of its individual components. Among these components, the bipolar plates have received the least attention as a factor that may limit a fuel cell’s life cycle performance. Driven by the need for cost and weight reduction of fuel cell stacks, a significant amount of development work has been directed towards the development of new materials and designs for bipolar plates. Selection of an appropriate design and/or material for bipolar plates requires that reliability and durability data must be available, and that testing protocols appropriate and indicative of fuel cell operation be established. This paper provides a review fuel cell bipolar plate reliability and durability. Topics that will be addressed include bipolar plate functionality and design requirements, plate materials selection, plate failure modes. This is followed by a description of new bipolar plate reliability/durability test methods being developed at the CAMM Fuel Cell Research Group.

scholarly journals Effects of the Synthesis Coating Parameters for Metal Bipolar Plates

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 3125-3134
Author(s):  
Nur Fawwaz Asri ◽  
Teuku Husaini ◽  
Abu Bakar Sulong ◽  
Edy Herianto Majlan
Keyword(s):  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Contact Resistance ◽  
Gas Flow ◽  
Corrosion Current ◽  
Metal Plate ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Coating Materials ◽  
Metal Plates

Metallic bipolar plates tendency to have high contact resistance, but also very susceptible to corrosion. This may decrease in the performance of fuel cells after several times of usage in fuel cell applications. Research has shown that after a metal plate was coated, the characteristic of materials dependent on the type, composition of the coating materials and the method. This study determines design of coating parameters including gas flow rate, DC power, and deposition time of coating for metal bipolar plates, which can be an indicator of the suitability of these plates for use as bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) applications. The aim of this research was to obtain a limitation range value of parameters that can be used as a standard for the use of metal plates as bipolar plates. The optimization parameters designed by Taguchi are used to determine the characteristics of interfacial contact resistance (ICR) and corrosion current density (Icorr). The integration of the Taguchi method with simulation can show the optimal design parameters of the coating on the various materials use. The optimization feature based on Taguchi is applied to ICR and Icorr values, to determine the feasibility of metal plates as potential bipolar plates in PEMFC.

Investigation on the Corrosion Resistance of PIM 316L Stainless Steel in PEM Fuel Cell Simulated Environment

2010 ◽  
Vol 660-661 ◽  
pp. 209-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara Cristina Lopes de Oliveira ◽  
Isolda Costa ◽  
Renato Altobelli Antunes
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Corrosion Resistance ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
316L Stainless Steel ◽  
Electrochemical Impedance ◽  
Pem Fuel Cell ◽  
Corrosion Current ◽  
Pem Fuel Cells ◽  
Sem Images

Bipolar plates play main functions in PEM fuel cells, accounting for the most part of the weight and cost of these devices. Powder metallurgy may be an interesting manufacturing process of these components owing to the production of large scale, complex near-net shape parts. However, corrosion processes are a major concern due to the increase of the passive film thickness on the metal surface, lowering the power output of the fuel cell. In this work, the corrosion resistance of PIM AISI 316L stainless steel specimens was evaluated in 1M H2SO4 + 2 ppm HF solution at room temperature during 30 days of immersion. The electrochemical measurements comprised potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surface morphology of the specimens was observed before and after the corrosion tests through SEM images. The material presented low corrosion current density suggesting that it is suitable to operate in the PEM fuel cell environment.

scholarly journals Metallic Material Selection and Prospective Surface Treatments for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Bipolar Plates—A Review

Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (10) ◽  
pp. 2682
Author(s):  
Tereza Bohackova ◽  
Jakub Ludvik ◽  
Milan Kouril
Keyword(s):  
Corrosion Resistance ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Fuel Cell ◽  
Contact Resistance ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Passive Layer ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Interfacial Contact ◽  
Interfacial Contact Resistance

The aim of this review is to summarize the possibilities of replacing graphite bipolar plates in fuel-cells. The review is mostly focused on metallic bipolar plates, which benefit from many properties required for fuel cells, viz. good mechanical properties, thermal and electrical conductivity, availability, and others. The main disadvantage of metals is that their corrosion resistance in the fuel-cell environment originates from the formation of a passive layer, which significantly increases interfacial contact resistance. Suitable coating systems prepared by a proper deposition method are eventually able to compensate for this disadvantage and make the replacement of graphite bipolar plates possible. This review compares coatings, materials, and deposition methods based on electrochemical measurements and contact resistance properties with respect to achieving appropriate parameters established by the DOE as objectives for 2020. An extraordinary number of studies have been performed, but only a minority of them provided promising results. One of these is the nanocrystalline β-Nb2N coating on AISI 430, prepared by the disproportionation reaction of Nb(IV) in molten salt, which satisfied the DOE 2020 objectives in terms of corrosion resistance and interfacial contact resistance. From other studies, TiN, CrN, NbC, TiC, or amorphous carbon-based coatings seem to be promising. This paper is novel in extracting important aspects for future studies and methods for testing the properties of metallic materials and factors affecting monitoring characteristics and parameters.

scholarly journals High-Performance Graphene Coating on Titanium Bipolar Plates in Fuel Cells via Cathodic Electrophoretic Deposition

Coatings ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 437
Author(s):  
Yi Liu ◽  
Luofu Min ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Yuxin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Graphene Oxide ◽  
Fuel Cells ◽  
Electrophoretic Deposition ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Proton Exchange Membrane ◽  
Corrosion Current ◽  
Proton Exchange ◽  
Bipolar Plates ◽  
Modified Graphene Oxide ◽  
Bare Titanium

In this article, we proposed a facile method to electrophoretically deposit a highly conductive and corrosion-resistant graphene layer on metal bipolar plates (BPs) while avoiding the oxidation of the metal substrate during the electrophoretic deposition (EPD). p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) was first grafted onto negatively charged graphene oxide (GO) to obtain modified graphene oxide (MGO) while bearing positive charges. Then, MGO dispersed in ethanol was coated on titanium plates via cathodic EPD under a constant voltage, followed by reducing the deposited MGO with H2 at 400 °C, gaining a titanium plate coated with reduced MGO (RMGO@Ti). Under the simulated environment of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), RMGO@Ti presents a corrosion current of < 10−6 A·cm−2, approximately two orders of magnitude lower than that of bare titanium. Furthermore, the interfacial contact resistance (ICR) of RMGO@Ti is as low as 4 mΩ·cm2, which is about one-thirtieth that of bare titanium. Therefore, RMGO@Ti appears very promising for use as BP in PEMFCs.

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