Fuel cell component having multiple pore sizes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016336601-A1
Application number	US-201415111151-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Jan 16, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An illustrative fuel cell component includes a body that has a plurality of first pores. The first pores have a first pore size. A fluorinated carbon coating is on at least some of the body. The coating establishes a plurality of second pores in a coated portion of the body. The second pores have a second pore size that is smaller than the first pore size.

First claim

I claim:

1 . A fuel cell component, comprising
a body comprising a plurality of first pores having a first pore size; and a fluorinated carbon coating on at least some of the body, the coating establishing a plurality of second pores in a coated portion of the body, the second pores having a second pore size that is smaller than the first pore size.

2 . The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein the first pore size is at least four times larger than the second pore size.

3 . The fuel cell component of claim 2 , wherein
the first pore size is about 200 microns; and the second pore size is between about 1 and about 50 microns.

4 . The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein the fluorinated carbon coating comprises an ink composition.

5 . The fuel cell component of claim 4 , wherein the ink composition comprises
fluorinated carbon CFx-2010; fluorinated carbon CFx-3000; and FC-3283 solvent.

6 . The fuel cell component of claim 5 , wherein the ink composition comprises
about 2 grams of the fluorinated carbon CFx-2010; about 1 gram of the fluorinated carbon CFx-3000; about 57 grams of the FC-3283 solvent; and a carbon to ink ratio of about 5%.

7 . The fuel cell component of claim 5 , wherein the ink composition comprises
about 0.5 gram of the fluorinated carbon CFx-2010; about 2 grams of the fluorinated carbon CFx-3000; about 31 grams of the FC-3283 solvent; and a carbon to ink ratio of about 7.5%.

8 . The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein the coating is applied to at least one side of the body.

9 . The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein the coating is applied to two sides of the body.

10 . The fuel cell component of claim 1 , wherein the coating is applied to substantially all of the body.

11 . A method of making a fuel cell component, comprising the steps of:
providing a body comprising a plurality of first pores having a first pore size; and applying a fluorinated carbon coating to at least some of the body for establishing a plurality of second pores in a coated portion of the body, the second pores having a second pore size that is smaller than the first pore size.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the first pore size is at least four times larger than the second pore size.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein
the first pore size is about 200 microns; and the second pore size is between about 1 and about 50 microns.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the applying comprises spraying a fluorinated carbon ink composition on at least some of the body.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the ink composition comprises
fluorinated carbon CFx-2010; fluorinated carbon CFx-3000; and FC-3283 solvent.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ink composition comprises
about 2 grams of the fluorinated carbon CFx-2010; about 1 gram of the fluorinated carbon CFx-3000; about 57 grams of the FC-3283 solvent; and a carbon to ink ratio of about 5%.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the ink composition comprises
about 0.5 gram of the fluorinated carbon CFx-2010; about 2 grams of the fluorinated carbon CFx-3000; about 31 grams of the FC-3283 solvent; and a carbon to ink ratio of about 7.5%.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the applying comprises applying the coating to at least one side of the body.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the applying comprises applying the coating to two sides of the body.

20 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the applying comprises applying the coating to substantially all of the body.

Assignees

• Audi Ag

Inventors

• Razack Siddique Ali Khateeb

Classifications

• H01M8/0245 Primary

  in the form of layered or coated products · CPC title

• H01M2008/1095

  Fuel cells with polymeric electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/0234

  Carbonaceous material · CPC title

• H01M4/861

  with a gradient in the porosity · CPC title

• H01M4/8807

  Gas diffusion layers · CPC title