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US 8,785,080 B2Granted
Passivated metallic bipolar plates and a method for producing the same
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsMahmoud H. Abd Elhamid, Gayatri Vyas Dadheech, Youssef M. Mikhail
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method including providing a substrate; treating the substrate to form a passive layer, wherein the passive layer has a thickness of at least 3 nm; and depositing an electrically conductive coating over the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
Claims34
A method comprising:
- providing a first fuel cell bipolar plate substrate having a reactant gas flow field defined in a surface;
- treating the first substrate to form a passive oxide layer on the substrate with a thickness of at least 3 nm, wherein the treating comprises at least one of soaking the substrate in boiling de-ionized water, or applying to the substrate a heat treatment above 400° C.;
- depositing an electrically conductive metal coating on the passive oxide layer on the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
A product comprising:
- a first fuel cell bipolar plate substrate having a reactant gas flow field defined in a surface comprising a passive oxide layer thereon, wherein the passive layer has a thickness of at least 3 nm;
- and
- a porous electrically conductive metal coating with the proviso that the electrically conductive metal coating does not include gold or platinum or vanadium on the passive oxide layer on the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
A method comprising:
- providing a first fuel cell bipolar plate substrate having a reactant gas flow field defined in a surface;
- treating the substrate to form a passive oxide layer on the substrate with a thickness of at least 3 nm, wherein the treating comprises contacting the substrate with a nitric acid solution;
- depositing an electrically conductive metal coating with the proviso that the electrically conductive metal coating does not include gold or platinum or vanadium on the passive oxide layer on the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
A method comprising:
- providing a first fuel cell bipolar plate substrate having a reactant gas flow field defined in a surface;
- treating the substrate to form a passive oxide layer on the substrate with a thickness of at least 3 nm, wherein the treating comprises soaking the substrate in boiling de-ionized water;
- depositing an electrically conductive metal coating on the passive oxide layer on the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
A method comprising:
- providing a first fuel cell bipolar plate substrate having a reactant gas flow field defined in a surface;
- treating the first substrate to form a passive oxide layer on the substrate with a thickness of at least 3 nm, wherein the treating comprises applying to the substrate a heat treatment above 400° C.;
- depositing an electrically conductive metal coating on the passive oxide layer on the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
A method comprising:
- providing a first fuel cell bipolar plate substrate having a reactant gas flow field defined in a surface;
- treating the first substrate to form a passive oxide layer on the substrate with a thickness of at least 3 nm, wherein the treating comprises at least one of contacting the substrate with a nitric acid solution, soaking the substrate in boiling de-ionized water, or applying to the substrate a heat treatment above 400° C.;
- depositing an electrically conductive metal coating with the proviso that the electrically conductive metal coating does not include gold or platinum or vanadium on the passive oxide layer on the substrate, wherein the coating has a thickness of about 0.1 nm to about 50 nm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.