Sealing arrangement, plate assembly, electrochemical system, and method for producing a sealing arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11876255-B2
Application number	US-202117316593-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	May 11, 2020
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a sealing arrangement, comprising: an elastomeric sealing element, which comprises a foamed material containing microspheres, and a metal layer having a surface structuring, the surface structuring comprising a plurality of depressions, wherein the sealing element is configured as a coating of the metal layer and is arranged at least in some areas on the surface structuring, wherein a concentration of the microspheres in the sealing element, measured perpendicular to the surface of the metal layer, is inhomogeneous. The disclosure additionally relates to a plate assembly, to an electrochemical system, and to a method for producing the sealing arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electrochemical system, comprising a sealing arrangement, comprising: an elastomeric sealing element, which comprises a foamed material containing microspheres, a metal layer comprising a sealing bead, the sealing bead extending outward from the metal layer and comprising a bead top, a surface structuring applied to at least the bead top, the surface structuring comprising a plurality of depressions, the sealing element formed as a coating on the bead and the sealing element arranged on the surface structuring, at least in some areas, and a concentration of the microspheres in the sealing element, measured perpendicular to the surface of the metal layer, is inhomogeneous.

2. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing element has a first interface adjoining the metal layer, the first interface having a first thickness and a first concentration of microspheres, and the concentration of the microspheres in the sealing element outside of the first thickness is higher than the first concentration.

3. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 2 , wherein the sealing element has a second interface arranged on an opposite side of the sealing element from the first interface, and the concentration of the microspheres in the sealing element is lower within the second interface than outside of the first interface and the second interface.

4. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 3 , wherein the first and second interfaces together have a thickness of no more than 35%, relative to a total maximum layer thickness of the sealing element measured perpendicular to the surface of the metal layer.

5. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a mean diameter of the microspheres is at least 20 pm and/or at most 80 pm.

6. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the depressions have a width and/or a diameter, measured at the mid-height of the depressions and/or parallel to the untreated metal surface, of at most 150 pm.

7. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the depressions have a depth, measured from the untreated surface to a lowest point of the depression, of at least 2 pm and/or at most 40 pm, and/or wherein the depressions have a depth of no more than 20% of a thickness of the metal layer.

8. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one bead integrally formed in the metal layer, the surface structuring being formed on a surface of the bead at least in a direction of extension of the bead and the sealing element being arranged on the surface structuring at least in the direction of the extension of the bead.

9. An electrochemical system, comprising a sealing arrangement, comprising: an elastomeric sealing element, which comprises a foamed material containing microspheres, a metal layer having a surface structuring, the surface structuring comprising a plurality of depressions, the sealing element formed as a coating on the metal layer and arranged at least in some areas on the surface structuring, a concentration of the microspheres in the sealing element, measured perpendicular to the surface of the metal layer, is inhomogeneous, and at least one bead integrally formed in the metal layer, the surface structuring being formed on a surface of the bead and the sealing element being arranged on the bead, wherein the bead has a bead top and at least one bead flank adjoining the bead top, the surface structuring extending at least in some areas over the bead top and/or the at least one bead flank.

10. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the elastomeric sealing element contains FPM (fluoroelastomer), silicone rubber or NBR rubber (nitrile butadiene rubber), PUR (polyurethane), NR (natural rubber), FFKM (perfluoro rubber), SBR (styrene butadiene rubber), BR (butyl rubber), FVSQ (fluorosilicone), CSM (chloro-sulphonated polyethylene), silicone resin, epoxy resin, or mixtures of the aforementioned substances, or pressure sensitive adhesive and/or physically binding adhesive.

11. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the microspheres are filled with a gaseous medium of a gaseous hydrocarbon.

12. An electrochemical system, comprising the sealing arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the sealing element surrounds, in an intrinsically closed manner, at least one through-opening for gas or liquid the metal layer, and the metal layer is a separator plate or part of a bipolar plate for an electrochemical system comprising two or more separator plates, and wherein the sealing element of two separator plates contacts opposing sides of a membrane electrode assembly to form a sealing relationship.

13. A plate assembly for an electrochemical system, comprising: a sealing arrangement having an elastomeric sealing element, which comprises a foamed material containing microspheres, two separator plates configured as metal layers, having a surface structuring at least in some areas, the surface structuring comprising a plurality of depressions, a membrane electrode assembly arranged between the separator plates, the sealing element formed as a coating on at least one side of each of the separator plates and arranged at least in some areas on the surface structuring, and an inhomogeneous concentration of the microspheres in the sealing element, measured perpendicular to the surface of the metal layer.

14. An electrochemical system, comprising a plurality of plate assemblies according to claim 13 .

15. The plate assembly of claim 13 , wherein each separator plate comprises a sealing bead extending outward from the plate, at least part of a top of each sealing bead distal from the separator plate including the surface structuring, at least part of the sealing element positioned on the surface structuring on the bead top of each separator plate, and each sealing element on each bead top contacting opposing sides of the membrane electrode assembly to form a seal.

16. The plate assembly of claim 15 , wherein the sealing bead surrounds and forms a perimeter seal around a flow field of the plate assembly.

Assignees

• Reinz Dichtungs Gmbh

Inventors

• Wenzel Stephan
• Berroth Wolfgang
• Gaugler Bernd
• Lemke Kai-Uwe
• Speidel Andrè

Classifications

• H01M8/0276 Primary

  Sealing means characterised by their form (H01M8/0273 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M8/0282 Primary

  Inorganic material · CPC title

• H01M8/0284

  Organic resins; Organic polymers · CPC title

• H01M8/0286

  Processes for forming seals · CPC title

• H01M8/028 Primary

  Sealing means characterised by their material · CPC title