Corrosion Resistant Metal Bipolar Plate for a PEMFC Including a Radical Scavenger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016240865-A1
Application number	US-201514620530-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 12, 2015
Publication date	Aug 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure includes fuel cell bipolar plates and methods of forming a radical scavenging coating on a bipolar plate. The bipolar plates may include a steel substrate, a middle layer contacting the steel substrate and including a bulk material and a radical scavenging material, and a conductive layer contacting the middle layer. The radical scavenging material may include cerium, such as metallic cerium or a cerium oxide. The conductive layer may include a conductive carbon, such as a diamond-like carbon or coating (DLC). The radical scavenging material may comprise 0.1 wt % to 30 wt % of the middle layer. The middle layer may be deposited using PVD, and the radical scavenging material may be doped into the middle layer, for example, by co-sputtering it with the bulk material of the middle layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fuel cell bipolar plate, comprising:
a steel substrate; a middle layer contacting the steel substrate and including a bulk material and a radical scavenging material comprising cerium; and a conductive layer contacting the middle layer.

2 . The bipolar plate of claim 1 , wherein the cerium includes metallic cerium or a cerium oxide.

3 . The bipolar plate of claim 1 , wherein the middle layer bulk material includes a carbide or a nitride of chromium or titanium.

4 . The bipolar plate of claim 1 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a conductive carbon.

5 . The bipolar plate of claim 4 , wherein the conductive carbon includes one or more of a diamond-like carbon (DLC), graphite, graphene, and carbon particles.

6 . The bipolar plate of claim 1 , wherein the radical scavenging material comprises 0.01 to 30 wt % of the middle layer.

7 . The bipolar plate of claim 1 , wherein the radical scavenging material comprises 0.1 to 15 wt % of the middle layer.

8 . The bipolar plate of claim 1 , wherein the middle layer has a thickness of 5 nm to 10 μm.

9 . A fuel cell bipolar plate, comprising:
a steel substrate; a middle layer contacting the steel substrate and including a bulk material and a radical scavenging material that scavenges at least one of hydroxyl radicals and perhydroxyl radicals; and a conductive layer including a conductive carbon contacting the middle layer.

10 . The bipolar plate of claim 9 , wherein the radical scavenging material includes cerium.

11 . The bipolar plate of claim 10 , wherein the cerium includes metallic cerium or a cerium oxide.

12 . The bipolar plate of claim 9 , wherein the middle layer bulk material includes a carbide or a nitride of chromium or titanium.

13 . The bipolar plate of claim 9 , wherein the conductive carbon includes one or more of a diamond-like carbon (DLC), graphite, graphene, and carbon particles.

14 . The bipolar plate of claim 9 , wherein the radical scavenging material comprises 0.1 to 15 wt % of the middle layer.

15 . A method of forming a radical scavenging coating on a fuel cell bipolar plate, comprising:
applying a middle layer to a steel substrate, the middle layer including a bulk material and a radical scavenging material including cerium; and applying a conductive layer to the middle layer.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the cerium is deposited as metallic cerium or cerium oxide.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the bulk material includes a carbide or a nitride of chromium or titanium.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a conductive carbon.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the middle layer to the steel substrate includes applying the bulk material and the radical scavenging material such that the radical scavenging material comprises 0.01 to 30 wt % of the middle layer.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the middle layer to the steel substrate includes co-sputtering the bulk material and the radical scavenging material.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Hirano Shinichi
• Ricketts Mark Stephen
• Gath Kerrie K
• Yang Jun
• Xu Chunchuan

Classifications

• H01M8/0206

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/0228 Primary

  in the form of layered or coated products · CPC title

• H01M8/0215

  Glass; Ceramic materials · CPC title

• H01M8/021

  Alloys based on iron · CPC title

• H01M2250/20

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