Cost-effective bipolar plate coatings for PEM fuel cells

摘要

Method for applying a hydrophilic and electrically conductive layer on a bipolar plate substrate for a fuel cell in a single-stage process. The method comprises mixing a solution of a conductive material, such as gold particles, and a hydrophilic material, such as silica particles, in a suitable solvent, such as ethanol. The solution is then applied to the bipolar plate substrate by any inexpensive process. Once the solution has dried and the ethanol has evaporated, a thin layer of the conductive and hydrophilic particles remain on the substrate. In one embodiment, the conductive particles are significantly larger than the hydrophilic particles to provide both the desired hydrophilicity and the low contact resistance.