Catalyst layer-free carbon-coated steel—An easy route to bipolar plates of polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Characterization on structure and electrochemistry |
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| Authors: | Chih-Yeh Chung Shi-Kun Chen Tsung-Shune Chin Tse-Hao Ko Shiuan-Wen Lin Wei-Min Chang Shih-Nan Hsiao |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Feng Chia University, Taichung 40724, Taiwan;2. Department of Engineering and System Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsichu 300, Taiwan |
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| Abstract: | Stainless steel coated with carbon by CVD process has been evaluated as a low-cost and small-volume substitute for graphite bipolar plate in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Carbon film was grown at 690–930 °C under gas-mixture of C2H2–H2. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry were used to characterize surface morphology and crystal structure of resultant carbon films, which were found to depend much on reaction temperature. Interfacial contact resistance (ICR), hydrophobicity and chemical stability of obtained specimens were measured to compare with commercial highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG). All carbon films investigated in this study show improved ICR and hydrophobicity of SUS304 substrate to the level of HOPG. Amorphous carbon layer with continuous film structure prepared at 810 °C shows the best protection of SUS304 substrate against the attack of H(aq)+ (anodic side) and the best resistance of the coated carbon from gasification (cathodic side) in the simulated PEMFC environment. |
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| Keywords: | Metallic bipolar plate Carbon coating Interfacial contact resistance Hydrophobicity Chemical stability |
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