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Title:
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Use of stainless steel for bipolar plates in the SPFC
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Author(s):
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Published by:
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Publication date:
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ECN
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1-12-1999
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ECN report number:
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Document type:
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ECN-RX--99-041
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Article (scientific)
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Number of pages:
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18
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Published in: Presented at the Grove Fuel Cell Symposium, 13-16 September 1999, London, UK. - Submitted to Journal of Power Sources (), , , Vol., p.-.
Abstract:
Bipolar plate materials for the SPFC, alternative to the presently usedgraphite, should fulfil the following requirements in order to be applicable:
low-cost, easy to machine or to shape, lightweight and low volume,
mechanically and sufficiently chemically stable, and having a low contact
resistance. Stainless steel is a low-cost material, it is easy to shape and
thin sheets can be used yielding a low volume and weight. Several stainless
steels have been tested for their applicability. The compaction pressure is
of large influence on the contact resistance. Also the pre-treatment of the
surface is of influence; this is a permanent effect. Stainless steel
constituents slowly dissolve into the MEA. lt has been found that the anode
sided stainless steel flow plate is the main source of the contaminants. A
direct contact between the stainless steel and the membrane greatly enhances
the contaminant level. Using a proper pre-treatment and a coating or gasket
preventing direct contact between stainless steel and the membrane we found
one alloy to satisfy the requirements for use as a low cost material for the
flow plate of an SPFC. 12 refs.
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