Fuel cell separator and coating method for fuel cell separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876203-B2
Application number	US-201916406286-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2019
Priority date	Oct 24, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A fuel cell separator includes a metal substrate having a surface; an ion penetration layer including carbon diffusion-inhibiting ions extending from the surface of the metal substrate into the metal substrate; and a carbon coating layer disposed on the surface of the metal substrate.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of coating a fuel cell separator, comprising the steps of: providing a metal substrate having a surface;
forming an ion penetration layer extending from the surface into the metal substrate by penetrating carbon diffusion-inhibiting ions into the surface of the metal substrate; and forming a carbon coating layer on the surface of the metal substrate; wherein the forming of the carbon coating layer includes exciting a carbon atom in a carbon precursor gas by plasma to form the carbon coating layer, wherein after forming the carbon coating layer, the ion penetration layer includes 5 wt % to 30 wt % of the carbon diffusion-inhibiting ions and 5 wt % to 85 wt % of carbon atoms.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises removing an oxide film disposed on a surface of the metal substrate surface prior to forming the ion penetration layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the carbon diffusion-inhibiting ions is a nitrogen ion or a boron ion.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein formation of the ion penetration layer is performed at a temperature of from 300 degrees Celsius to 550 degrees C. for 10 minutes to 120 minutes.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein formation of the ion penetration layer is performed under an atmosphere including 10 volume % or greater of an ion-forming gas.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein formation of the ion penetration layer includes penetrating carbon diffusion-inhibiting ions into the metal substrate using plasma or ion implantation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein formation of the carbon coating layer is performed at a temperature of from 300 degrees Celsius to 550 degrees Celsius.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein formation of the carbon coating layer is performed under an atmosphere including 3 volume % to 30 volume % of a carbon precursor gas.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Dongwoo Hst Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Seungkoo
• Hong Woong Pyo
• Kim Bokyung
• PARK Jungyeon
• Oh Seung Jeong
• Lyo In Woong
• Noh Su Jung
• Lee Jun Seok
• Chung Won Ki
• Ahn Seung Gyun

Classifications

• H01M8/0247

  characterised by the form (characterised by a channel configuration H01M8/0258) · CPC title

• H01M8/0206

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• C23C28/04

  only coatings of inorganic non-metallic material · CPC title

• C23C16/26 Primary

  Deposition of carbon only · CPC title

• H01M8/0213

  Gas-impermeable carbon-containing materials · CPC title