Super-hydrophobic composite bipolar plate including a porous surface layer
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorRichard H. Blunk
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hydrophobic composite bipolar plate for a fuel cell including a substrate having a composite material including carbon and a surface layer on the substrate. The surface layer includes silicon and oxygen, and a hydrocarbon moiety attached to at least one of the silicon or oxygen.
Claims18
A product comprising a fuel cell component, said product comprising:
- a substrate including a hydrocarbon material, a porous surface layer over the substrate, the porous surface layer including silicon and oxygen, a diffusion barrier selectively deposited between the porous layer and the substrate, and a hydrocarbon moiety attached to at least one of the silicon or oxygen, wherein at least a portion of the porous surface layer is hydrophobic, and wherein the diffusion barrier prevents the hydrocarbon moiety from diffusing into the porous layer where the diffusion barrier is provided.
A composite bipolar plate for a fuel cell, said bipolar plate comprising a substrate including a hydrocarbon material and a porous surface layer over the substrate, said porous surface layer including SiOx where 0.1<x<2.0, said substrate including a base and a first layer over the base where the first layer includes the hydrocarbon material, said base being a metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.