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US 7,951,510 B2Granted
Electroconductive polymer coating on electroconductive elements in a fuel cell
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsChunxin Ji, Steven R Falta, Thomas A Trabold, Brian K Brady
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Abstract
A bipolar plate for use in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell having an electrically conductive polymer coated on at least one region of a surface of the plate in contact with a flow field. The coated region is hydrophobic or hydrophilic as compared to an uncoated region of the surface to prevent liquid accumulation. Electroconductive polymer coatings are applied by electrochemical polymerization.
Claims22
An electrically conductive metal element comprising:
- a surface defining a flow field having an inlet area and an outlet area, said flow field constructed and arranged to distribute reactant from said inlet area to said outlet area;
- and
- an electroconductive polymeric coating overlying at least one region of said surface and extending from said inlet area to said outlet area, said electroconductive coating having a first hydrophobicity at said inlet area and a second hydrophobicity at said outlet area,
- wherein said first hydrophobicity is greater than said second hydrophobicity.
1 more element
An electrically conductive metal element comprising:
- a surface of the electrically conductive metal element constructed and arranged to distribute reactant gas, and at least one region of the surface having an electroconductive coating deposited over the metal element, said electroconductive coating being electrically conductive and comprising an electroconductive polymer, wherein a first coating is deposited on a first portion of said region having a first surface free energy and a second coating is deposited on a second portion of said region having a second surface free energy, wherein said first surface free energy is greater than said second surface free energy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.