Method of making a porous fuel cell component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689301-B2
Application number	US-201815970346-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 3, 2018
Priority date	May 3, 2018
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

An illustrated example method of making a porous carbon composite includes mixing a carbon-based material, a binder and pore former particles to establish a mixture. The mixture is placed into a mold where it is subjected to pressure at an ambient temperature to form a compacted body. Subsequently, the compacted body is heated to a temperature that causes at least partial removal of the pore former particles to establish pores in place of at least some of the pore former particles.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of making a porous carbon composite, the method comprising:
mixing a carbon-based material, a binder and pore former particles to establish a mixture;
placing the mixture into a mold;
subjecting the mixture in the mold to pressure above 3,000 psi at an ambient temperature to form a compacted body; and
subsequently heating the compacted body to a temperature that causes at least partial removal of the pore former particles to establish pores in place of at least some of the pore former particles.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating comprises subjecting the compacted body to a temperature that is greater than 800° C.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising curing the binder during the heating.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pore former particles comprise polyethylene.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pore former particles comprise polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pore former particles comprise a wax.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pore former particles comprise ethylene bis stearamide (EBS).

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pore former particles have a size in a range of 1 micrometer to 20 micrometers.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the carbon-based material comprises at least one of carbon powder and graphite powder; and
the binder comprises a polymeric binder.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the polymeric binder comprises phenolic resin.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pressure is between 3000 psi and 6000 psi.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the pressure is between 4000 psi and 5500 psi.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising removing the compacted body from the mold before performing the heating.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the porous carbon composite is a fuel cell component.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein subsequently heating the compacted body causes at least one of (i) at least partial pyrolysis, (ii) at least partial evaporation, (iii) at least partial decomposition, and (iv) at least partial sublimation of the pore former particles.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the pore forming particles have a size between 1 micrometer and 20 micrometers.

17. A method of making a porous carbon composite, the method comprising:
mixing a carbon-based material, a binder and pore former particles to establish a mixture, wherein the pore former particles comprise ethylene bis stearamide (EBS);
placing the mixture into a mold;
subjecting the mixture in the mold to pressure at an ambient temperature to form a compacted body;
subsequently heating the compacted body to a temperature that causes at least partial removal of the pore former particles to establish pores in place of at least some of the pore former particles.

18. A method of making a porous carbon composite, the method comprising:
mixing a carbon-based material, a binder and pore former particles to establish a mixture;
placing the mixture into a mold;
subjecting the mixture in the mold to pressure at an ambient temperature to form a compacted body;
removing the compacted body from the mold; and
subsequently heating the compacted body to a temperature that causes at least partial removal of the pore former particles to establish pores in place of at least some of the pore former particles.

19. A method of making a porous fuel cell component, the method comprising:
mixing a carbon-based material, a binder and pore former particles to establish a mixture;
placing the mixture into a mold;
subjecting the mixture in the mold to pressure at an ambient temperature to form a compacted body;
subsequently heating the compacted body to a temperature that causes at least partial removal of the pore former particles to establish pores in place of at least some of the pore former particles, to thereby form a porous fuel cell component.

Assignees

• Doosan Fuel Cell America Inc

Inventors

• Arpin Kevin A
• Brown Patrick Michael
• Patterson Jr Timothy William

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• H01M8/0234

  Carbonaceous material · CPC title

• C04B2111/00853

  in electrochemical cells or batteries, e.g. fuel cells · CPC title

• H01M8/0243 Primary

  in the form of mixtures · CPC title