Bipolar plate for fuel cells and method for manufacturing same

Abstract

Invention relates to electrically conductive composite materials based on thermoplastic polymers containing carbon nanotubes, to methods for manufacturing same, and to electrically conductive thin plates for use as bipolar plates in fuel cells, including proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The present invention proposes a method for producing thin electrically conductive plates, and further proposes a thin bipolar plate with a thickness of less than 1 mm for a high-temperature fuel cell, the plate having gas transport channels on the surface thereof and containing a composite material comprised of a thermoplastic polymer and single-walled and/or double-walled carbon nanotubes, wherein the composite material contains connected regions having a carbon nanotube concentration of more than 1 wt. %, and domains having a size of less than 200 μm and a local concentration of carbon nanotubes of less than 1 wt. %.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.