# US 11,909,076 B2 · Compliant contact material for fuel cells and method of making thereof

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- Number: US 11,909,076 B2
- Document ID: US11909076B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/148,031
- Filed: 2021-01-13
- Published: 2021-05-06
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-04
- Assignees: Bloom Energy Corporation
- Applicants: Bloom Energy Corporation
- Inventors: Andres Leming
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909076B2

## CPC

- H01M 8/0217: Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type AMO3, A being an alkaline earth metal or rare earth metal and M being a metal, e.g. perovskites
- H01M 8/0245: in the form of layered or coated products
- H01M 4/8668: {Binders}
- H01M 4/8673: {Electrically conductive fillers}
- H01M 4/8832: {Ink jet printing}
- H01M 8/0228: in the form of layered or coated products
- H01M 8/0254: corrugated or undulated
- H01M 8/12: operating at high temperature, e.g. with stabilised ZrO2 electrolyte
- H01M 8/2465: Details of groupings of fuel cells
- H01M 2008/1293: {Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes}
- Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells
- Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product
- 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 making a fuel cell stack includes applying an electrically conductive, compliant contact print ink containing an electrically conductive material, a plasticizer, a solvent, and a binder to at least one of a surface of an electrode of a fuel cell or a surface of an interconnect, and placing the fuel cell and the interconnect in the fuel cell stack such that the compliant contact print ink is located between the electrode of the fuel cell and the interconnect.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a fuel cell stack, comprising:
applying an electrically conductive, compliant contact print ink comprising an electrically conductive material, a plasticizer, a solvent, and a binder to at least one of a surface of a cathode electrode of a fuel cell or a surface of an interconnect, wherein the electrically conductive material comprises at least one of lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM), lanthanum strontium cobaltite (LSC), lanthanum strontium ferrite (LSF), or manganese cobalt oxide (MCO); and
placing the fuel cell and the interconnect in the fuel cell stack such that the compliant contact print ink is located between and contacts the cathode electrode of the fuel cell and the interconnect.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel cell comprises a solid oxide fuel cell.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the plasticizer comprises at least one of benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dimethyl phthalate (DMP), diacetylated monoglyceride, polyethylene glycol, N-alkyl-(C8-C18) pyrrolidone or poly-glycerol-dodecanoate (PGD).

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the cathode electrode comprises an electrically conductive perovskite material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the cathode electrode comprises lanthanum strontium manganite (LSM) and the electrically conductive material comprises LSM.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the solvent comprises terpineol and the binder comprises ethylcellulose.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the step of applying the compliant contact print ink comprises applying the compliant contact print ink to the cathode electrode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the step of applying the compliant contact print ink comprises applying the compliant contact print ink to ribs of the interconnect.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, further comprising curing the compliant contact print ink after placing the fuel cell and the interconnect in the fuel cell stack to burn off the plasticizer and binder from the compliant contact print ink to form a rigid, electrically conductive cathode contact material between and contacting both the cathode electrode and the interconnect.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the curing occurs during firing of the fuel cell stack.

### Claim 11

A method of making a fuel cell stack, comprising:
applying an electrically conductive, compliant contact print ink comprising an electrically conductive material, a plasticizer, a solvent, and a binder to at least one of a surface of a cathode electrode of a fuel cell or a surface of an interconnect; and
placing the fuel cell and the interconnect in the fuel cell stack such that the compliant contact print ink is located between and contacts the cathode electrode of the fuel cell and the interconnect;
wherein the plasticizer comprises diacetylated monoglyceride and the compliant print ink comprises from about 20 weight percent to about 50 weight percent of the plasticizer, based on a total weight percent of the binder included in the compliant print ink.