# US 2018/0323461 A1 · Separator for fuel cell or current collecting member for fuel cell, and manufacturing method thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0323461 A1 - Document ID: US20180323461A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/528,099 - Filed: 2015-11-17 - Published: 2018-11-08 - Earliest claimed: 2014-11-20 - Assignees: Plasma Ion Assist Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Plasma Ion Assist Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Yasuo SUZUKI; Masanori WATANABE; Toshiaki FUJII - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180323461A1 ## CPC - H01M 8/1018: Polymeric electrolyte materials - H01M 4/8807: {Gas diffusion layers} - H01M 4/8871: {Sputtering} - H01M 8/021: Alloys based on iron - H01M 8/0228: in the form of layered or coated products - H01M 8/0254: corrugated or undulated - H01M 8/04701: Temperature - H01M 8/04746: Pressure; Flow - H01M 8/0213: Gas-impermeable carbon-containing materials - H01M 8/0221: Organic resins; Organic polymers - H01M 2008/1095: {Fuel cells with polymeric 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 In order to provide a separator for fuel cells, or a current collecting member for fuel cells, which has low contact resistance, excellent corrosion resistance and which can be economically manufactured, and a manufacturing method thereof, this separator 110 for fuel cells comprises a substrate 11 having iron or aluminum as the main component, a gas barrier film 12 formed directly on said substrate 11 and having excellent corrosion resistance, and a conductive resin film 13 formed on the gas barrier film 12 and containing a conductive ceramic or graphite particles having a particle diameter of 1-20 μm. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A separator for a fuel cell or a current collecting member for a fuel cell comprising: a substrate including at least one metal among aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), chromium (Cr), zirconium (Zr), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), and an alloy containing these metals; a gas barrier film that is formed on at least one side of the substrate; and a conductive resin film that is formed on a surface of the gas barrier film. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the gas barrier film is a conductive carbon film, a metal carbide film, a metal oxycarbide film, a metal nitride film, a metal boride film, a metal silicide film, or a film obtained by laminating these films, or a combination of these films. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the gas barrier film is a conductive carbon film which is conductive amorphous carbon or conductive diamond-like carbon having a resistivity of 0.01 Ω·cm to 10 Ω·cm. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the gas barrier film has a thickness of 10 nm to 500 nm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the conductive resin film is a conductive resin film that includes graphite particles having a particle size of 1 μm to 20 μm or/and a conductive ceramic and having a weight fraction of 30% to 70%. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the conductive resin film has a thickness of 1 μm to 30 μm. ### Claim 7 A method of manufacturing a separator for a fuel cell or a current collecting member for a fuel cell comprising: (a) process in which a metal substrate for a fuel cell is transferred into a plasma treatment chamber, and a surface of the metal substrate is cleaned using a plasma treatment method; (b) process in which the metal substrate is heated to 100° C. to 450° C.; (c) process in which a gas barrier film is formed on a surface of the metal substrate; and (d) process in which a conductive resin film is formed on a surface of the gas barrier film. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of manufacturing a separator for a fuel cell or a current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 7, wherein a raw material gas required for forming a conductive carbon film is introduced into the plasma treatment chamber and a discharge plasma containing carbon ions is generated, the metal substrate is exposed to the discharge plasma, a negative bias voltage is applied to the metal substrate, and a gas barrier film including the conductive carbon film is formed. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of manufacturing a separator for a fuel cell or a current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 7, wherein the gas barrier film including any of a metal carbide, a metal oxycarbide, a metal nitride, a metal boride, and a metal silicide or a mixture thereof is formed on a surface of the metal substrate using a chemical vapor deposition method. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of manufacturing a separator for a fuel cell or a current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 7, wherein a desired metal film is formed on a surface of the metal substrate using a vacuum deposition method or a chemical vapor deposition method, and in a plasma atmosphere including at least one type of ions selected from among carbon ions, oxygen ions, nitrogen ions, boron ions and silicon ions, when a negative bias voltage is applied to the metal substrate and the ions are implanted, the gas barrier film including any of a metal carbide, a metal oxycarbide, a metal nitride, a metal boride, and a metal silicide or a mixture thereof is formed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of manufacturing a separator for a fuel cell or a current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 7, wherein a metal hexacarbonyl gas including a desired metal is introduced into the plasma treatment chamber as a raw material gas, and a temperature of the substrate remains at 130° C. to 450° C. in an atmosphere in which the gas is included, and the gas barrier film including a desired metal film, metal carbide film, or metal oxycarbide film, or a mixture film thereof is formed using a chemical vapor deposition method. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell according to claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) A solid polymer electrolyte fuel cell using the separator for a fuel cell or the current collecting member for a fuel cell manufactured by the manufacturing method according to claim 7.