# US 10,766,173 B2 · Method of manufacturing multiple fuel cell separator plate assemblies

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- Number: US 10,766,173 B2
- Document ID: US10766173B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/370,468
- Filed: 2012-01-05
- Published: 2014-11-20
- Granted: 2020-09-08
- Earliest claimed: 2012-01-05
- Assignees: Audi AG
- Applicants: Richard Breault; Kishore Kumar Tenneti; Sridhar V. Kanuri
- Inventors: Richard Breault; Kishore Kumar Tenneti; Sridhar V. Kanuri
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766173B2

## CPC

- B29C 43/22: of articles of indefinite length
- B29C 48/475: using pistons, accumulators or press rams
- B29C 48/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating
- H01M 8/0213: Gas-impermeable carbon-containing materials
- H01M 8/0221: Organic resins; Organic polymers
- H01M 8/0226: in the form of mixtures
- B29C 48/0022: {combined with cutting}
- B29C 48/022: {characterised by the choice of material}
- B29C 48/07: Flat, e.g. panels
- B29C 48/797: Cooling
- B29C 48/832: {Heating}
- B29C 48/875: for achieving a non-uniform temperature distribution, e.g. using barrels having both cooling and heating zones
- B29C 65/482: {Drying adhesives, e.g. solvent based adhesives}
- B29C 66/43: {Joining a relatively small portion of the surface of said articles (B29C66/45 takes precedence)}
- B29C 66/73141: {Electrical conductivity}
- B29C 69/001: {a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts (for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence)}
- B29C 2793/00: Shaping techniques involving a cutting or machining operation
- B29C 2948/92514: Pressure
- B29C 2948/92704: Temperature
- Y02E 60/10: Energy storage using batteries
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing a flow field plate includes mixing graphite and resin materials to provide a mixture. The mixture is formed into a continuous flow field plate, for example, by ram extrusion or one or more press belts. The continuous flow field plate is separated into discrete flow field plates. Flow field channels are provided in one of the continuous flow field plate and the discrete flow field plates.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a flow field plate, comprising:
mixing graphite and resin materials;
heating the graphite and resin materials to provide a molten graphite and resin mixture;
forming the molten graphite and resin mixture into a continuous flow field plate, the forming including extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through a die to net shape, the extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die to net shape including providing flow field channels in the continuous flow field plate during the extruding via ribs and channels of a profile of the die, wherein during the forming, the resin material has a liquid to solid phase ratio between 40:60 and 60:40 at an exit of the die; and
separating the continuous flow field plate into discrete flow field plates having the flow field channels.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the graphite material includes a flake graphite powder and the resin material includes at least one of: a fluorinated ethylene propylene, a perfluoroalkoxy copolymer, and polytetrafluoroethylene.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the separating includes cutting the continuous flow field plate into the discrete flow field plates.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, comprising laminating two of the discrete flow field plates to one another to produce a separator plate assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the laminating includes adhering the two of the discrete flow field plates to one another with a fluoroelastomer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the extruding includes depositing the graphite and resin materials into a barrel and slidably translating a ram through the barrel to force the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the slidably translating occurs without rotating the ram about an axis of the ram.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die includes extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die with the die located at an exit of an extruder, a length of the die occupying between ⅓ and ¼ of a length of the extruder.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method according to claim 8 wherein the forming includes forming the molten graphite and resin mixture into the continuous flow field plate without passing the molten graphite and resin mixture through a heat barrier.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the heating includes heating with an extruder having a length including a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion, the heating including providing an increasing temperature profile along the first portion from 150 degrees Celsius to 350 degrees Celsius, maintaining a temperature of the second portion at 350 degree Celsius along the second portion, and providing a decreasing temperature profile along the third portion from 350 degrees Celsius to 250 degrees Celsius.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method according to claim 10 wherein the first portion comprises ¼ of the length of the extruder, the second portion comprises ½ of the length of the extruder, and the third portion comprises ¼ of the length of the extruder.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method according to claim 11 wherein the extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die includes extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die with the die located at an exit of the extruder, a length of the die occupying between ⅓ and ¼ of the length of the extruder.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 wherein the forming includes forming the molten graphite and resin mixture into the continuous flow field plate without passing the molten graphite and resin mixture through a heat barrier.

### Claim 14

A method of manufacturing a flow field plate, comprising:
mixing graphite and resin materials;
feeding the graphite and resin materials into an extruder having a length including a first portion comprising ¼ of the length of the extruder, a second portion comprising ½ of the length of the extruder, and a third portion comprising ¼ of the length of the extruder;
heating the graphite and resin materials to provide a molten graphite and resin mixture in the extruder, the heating including providing an increasing temperature profile from 150 degrees Celsius to 350 degrees Celsius along the first portion, maintaining a flow field temperature of 350 degree Celsius along the second portion, and providing a decreasing temperature profile from 350 degrees Celsius to 250 degrees Celsius along the third portion;
forming the molten graphite and resin mixture into a continuous flow field plate, the forming including extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through a die, wherein the extruding includes forming flow field channels in the continuous flow field plate with channels and ribs of the die, the die located at an exit of the extruder and having a die length, the die length being ⅓ of the length of the extruder and including the third portion and part of the second portion to provide a decreasing temperature profile along a portion of the die from 350 degrees Celsius to 250 degrees Celsius, wherein during the forming, the resin material has a liquid to solid phase ratio between 40:60 and 60:40 at an exit of the die; and
separating the continuous flow field plate into discrete flow field plates.

### Claim 15

A method of manufacturing a flow field plate, comprising:
mixing flake graphite and fluorinated ethylene propylene resin materials;
feeding the flake graphite and fluorinated ethylene propylene resin materials into an extruder having a length including a first portion comprising ¼ of the length of the extruder, a second portion comprising ½ of the length of the extruder, and a third portion comprising ¼ of the length of the extruder, the feeding including providing a discontinuous material feed to the extruder;
cooling the flake graphite and fluorinated ethylene propylene resin materials proximate an entrance of a barrel of the extruder;
heating the flake graphite and fluorinated ethylene propylene resin materials to provide a molten graphite and resin mixture in the barrel of the extruder, the heating including providing an increasing temperature profile along the first portion, maintaining a temperature along the second portion that is a melting point of the fluorinated ethylene propylene resin, and providing a decreasing temperature profile along the third portion;
forming the molten graphite and resin mixture into a continuous flow field plate from the discontinuous material feed, the forming including extruding the molten graphite and resin mixture through a die at an exit of the extruder, the die having a die length that is ⅓ of the length of the extruder such that the die has the maintained temperature along a first region and the decreasing temperature profile along a second region, the forming further including forming flow field channels in the continuous flow field plate during the extruding via ribs and channels of the die, wherein the extruding further includes depositing the flake graphite and fluorinated ethylene propylene resin materials into the barrel of the extruder and slidably translating a ram through the barrel without rotating the ram about an axis of the ram to force the molten graphite and resin mixture through the die and, wherein during the forming, the resin material has a liquid to solid phase ratio between 40:60 and 60:40 at an exit of the die; and
separating the continuous flow field plate into discrete flow field plates.