COMPRESSION MOLDABLE COMPOSITE BIPOLAR PLATES WITH HIGH THROUGH-PLANE CONDUCTIVITY

摘要

A low cost method of fabricating bipolar plates for use in fuel cells utilizes a wet lay process for combining graphite particles, thermoplastic fibers, and reinforcing fibers to produce a plurality of formable sheets. The formable sheets are sandwiched between outer layers consisting of polymer and graphite particles, then molded into a bipolar plates with features impressed therein via the molding process. The bipolar plates formed by the process have sufficient mechanical strength and bulk conductivity to be used in fuel cells The outer layers provide for enhanced conductivity and resistance to gas permeation.