Low cost fuel cell bipolar plate and process of making the same
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsGayatri Vyas Dadheech, Thomas A. Trabold, Mahmoud H. ABD Elhamid
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Abstract
Fuel cell bipolar plates are made by depositing a pinhole free corrosion resistant and/or a conductive layer on a metal plate using an atomic layer deposition method. In one embodiment, a conductive layer is deposited on an anodized metal plate using atomic layer deposition method. In another embodiment, at least one corrosion resistant metal oxide layer and at least one conductive layer are deposited on a metal plate individually using atomic layer deposition method. In yet another embodiment, a corrosion resistant and conductive metal oxynitride layer is deposited on a metal plate using an atomic layer deposition method.
Claims21
A process comprising:
- providing a conductive metal plate having at least one fuel cell reactant gas channel configured for fluid passage;
- anodizing said conductive metal plate to form a corrosion resistant surface layer having a water contact angle less than 40 degree;
- and
- depositing at least one conductive layer above said corrosion resistant surface layer using atomic layer deposition method;
- said conductive layer comprising at least one of metal oxides, metal nitrides, metal oxynitrides, noble metals, or carbon.
A process comprising:
- providing a conductive metal plate;
- depositing on said metal plate a uniform and pinhole free corrosion resistance layer comprising at least one metal oxide using atomic layer deposition method;
- and
- depositing at least one conductive layer above said corrosion resistant layer using atomic layer deposition method;
- said conductive layer comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of metal oxide, metal oxynitride, noble metals, and carbon.
A process comprising:
- providing a conductive metal plate;
- providing a metal compound, an oxygen compound, and a nitrogen compound;
- placing said conductive metal plate inside an atomic layer deposition chamber;
- exposing said metal plate to a gas pulse comprising said metal compound vapor such that at least one atomic layer of said metal compound is adsorbed on the surface of said metal plate;
- purging said deposition chamber with an inert gas to remove said metal compound residue vapor and;
- after said metal compound being adsorbed on said metal plate, exposing said metal plate to a gas pulse comprising said oxygen compound and said nitrogen compound at a temperature between 100° and 600° C., causing said adsorbed metal compound to react with said oxygen compound and nitrogen compound to form a metal oxynitride.
A product comprising:
- a fuel cell bipolar plate having a reactant gas flow field defined therein comprising a plurality of lands and channels, a conductive layer over at least a portion of the bipolar plate defining the reactant gas flow field, the conductive layer comprising at least one of metal oxides, metal oxynitrides, noble metals or carbon, the conductive layer comprising one monolayer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.