Coating method of separator for fuel cell and separator for fuel cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11233248-B2
Application number	US-201816012156-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 19, 2018
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell according to one form of the present disclosure includes the steps of: vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas; introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas containing the precursor gas and a reactive gas to a reaction chamber; applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the precursor gas and reactive gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a metal nitride coating layer on a substrate; introducing a carbon layer-forming gas containing a carbonaceous gas to the reaction chamber; and applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the carbonaceous gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a carbon coating layer on the metal nitride coating layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for coating a separator for a fuel cell, the method comprising:
vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas;
introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas containing the precursor gas and a reactive gas to a reaction chamber;
applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the precursor gas and reactive gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a metal nitride coating layer on a substrate;
introducing a carbon layer-forming gas containing a carbonaceous gas to the reaction chamber; and
applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the carbonaceous gas is converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a carbon coating layer on the metal nitride coating layer,
wherein the step of introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas to a reaction chamber, the step of forming a metal nitride coating layer, the step of introducing a carbon layer-forming gas to the reaction chamber, and the step of forming a carbon coating layer are repeated 5 to 50 times,
wherein the metal nitride coating layer includes metal nitride in an amount of 10 at % to 30 at %, and
wherein the carbon coating layer includes carbon with an SP2 structure and carbon with an SP3 structure.

2. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride precursor is a material selected from the group consisting of titanium nitride, chromium nitride, molybdenum nitride, tungsten nitride, copper nitride, and niobium nitride precursor.

3. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride precursor comprises a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:

wherein each of R 1 to R 8 independently represents a substituted or non-substituted C1 to C10 alkyl group, and Me is Ti, Cr, Mo, W, Cu, or Nb.

4. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 3 , wherein:
the metal nitride precursor further comprises a compound represented by the following Chemical Formula 2

wherein each of R 9 to R 16 independently represents a substituted or non-substituted C1 to C10 alkyl group, and Me is Ti, Cr, Mo, W, Cu, or Nb.

5. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 4 , wherein each of R 1 to R 16 represents a methyl group (CH 3 ).

6. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the step of vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas is carried out at a temperature ranging from 50° C. to 80° C.

7. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the reactive gas is one of a nitrogen compound gas and a nitrogen gas.

8. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 7 , wherein the reactive gas is one of NH 3 and N 2 .

9. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the carbonaceous gas is selected from the group consisting of C 2 H 2 , CH 4 , C 6 H 12 , C 7 H 14 , and combinations thereof.

10. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride coating layer-forming gas further comprises an inert gas and hydrogen gas.

11. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the carbon coating layer-forming gas further comprises an inert gas.

12. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a metal nitride coating layer and the step of forming a carbon coating layer are carried out at a temperature ranging from 100° C. to 200° C.

13. The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell of claim 1 further comprising a step of introducing a reactive gas to the reaction chamber and activating the plasma to carry out nitriding of a topmost layer.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Choi Kwang Hoon
• Hong Woong Pyo
• Lee Chi Seung
• Park Hyun Dal
• Kim Bokyung
• PARK Jungyeon
• Lyo In Woong
• Seo Jiyoun

Classifications

• C23C16/50

  using electric discharges {(generation and control of plasma in discharge tubes for surface treatment H01J37/32, H01J37/34)} · CPC title

• C23C16/45523

  Pulsed gas flow or change of composition over time · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

  Fuel cells in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane · CPC title

• H01M50/403 Primary

  Manufacturing processes of separators, membranes or diaphragms · CPC title

• C23C28/042

  including a refractory ceramic layer, e.g. refractory metal oxides, ZrO2, rare earth oxides · CPC title