Fuel cell separator and production method for fuel cell separator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9780389-B2
Application number	US-201414425953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 18, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

A separator includes a gas flow path forming body, which includes a substrate made of stainless steel, a resin layer arranged on the substrate, and a conductive layer arranged on the surface of the resin layer. The resin layer contains a filler, which has conductivity and greater hardness than an oxide film of the substrate. The conductive layer contains graphite. The filler extends through the oxide film of the substrate and contacts the base material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, comprising:
a first step of applying a first coating material onto a substrate, the substrate including a base material made of metal material and a coating film formed on a surface of the base material,
wherein the first coating material contains a binder made of resin material and a filler having conductivity and greater hardness than the coating film of the substrate;
a second step of applying a second coating material onto the substrate coated with the first coating material,
wherein the second coating material contains a binder made of resin material and carbon-based material; and
a third step of hardening the binder of the first coating material and the binder of the second coating material and pressurizing the substrate such that the filler of the first coating material extends through the coating film of the substrate and contacts the base material of the substrate,
wherein the binder of the first coating material and the binder of the second coating material are both made of thermosetting resin material and
at the third step, the substrate is pressurized by hot pressing so that each binder is heated to a temperature at which the binder hardens.

2. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 1 , wherein
the binder of the first coating material and the binder of the second coating material are both made of thermoplastic resin material, and
at the third step, the binder of the first coating material and the binder of the second coating material are heated to melt, and the substrate is then pressurized by cold pressing so that each binder is cooled to a temperature at which the binder hardens.

3. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 1 , further comprising a shaping step of shaping the substrate before the first step.

4. The method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator according to claim 2 , further comprising a shaping step of shaping the substrate before the first step.

Assignees

• Morozumi Eiichiro
• Hashimoto Keiji
• Asaoka Takatoshi
• Suzuki Yukihiro
• Toyota Auto Body Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morozumi Eiichiro
• Hashimoto Keiji
• Asaoka Takatoshi
• Suzuki Yukihiro

Classifications

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title

• Y02P70/56

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• H01M8/0232

  Metals or alloys · CPC title

• H01M8/0226

  in the form of mixtures · CPC title

• H01M8/0234

  Carbonaceous material · CPC title