Method for manufacturing a separator plate for PEM fuel cells
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMahmoud Abd Elhamid, Richard Blunk, Daniel Lisi, Youssef Mikhail
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a composite separator plate for a fuel cell stack. The method includes preparing expanded graphite into particles, and dispersing the expanded graphite particles into a polymeric resin. The resin, including the graphite particles, is compression molded to form the separator plate. In one embodiment, the expanded graphite is dispersed into the polymeric resin by mixing it in to the resin. In an alternate embodiment, the expanded graphite is sprinkled into the polymeric resin using an SMC-like process.
Claims20
A method for manufacturing a composite separator plate for a fuel cell, said method comprising:
- preparing expanded graphite into particles;
- dispersing the expanded graphite into a polymeric resin;
- and
- compression molding the resin and graphite particles to form the separator plate.
A method for manufacturing a composite separator plate for a fuel cell, said method comprising:
- preparing expanded graphite into particles;
- disbursing the expanded graphite particles into a polymeric resin;
- and
- compression molding the resin and graphite particles to form the separator plate so that at least some of the expanded graphite particles extend from a first surface to a second surface of the plate.
A method for manufacturing a composite separator plate for a fuel cell, said method comprising:
- providing a compressible conductive material;
- disbursing the compressible conductive material into a polymeric resin;
- and
- compression molding the resin and conductive material to form the separator plate where at least some of the compressible material extends from a first surface to a second surface of the plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.