New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries Dr. Rouven Henkel Eisenhuth GmbH & Co. KG D - 37520 Osterode GERMANY
Product range injection molding 3 main divisions fuel cell components mold building production of rubber and plastic parts in small batches: rubber / plastics / silicone rubber for automotive, engineering, health care industry molds for injection molding components for fuel cells and batteries: bipolarplates, gaskets from quantity 1 New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 2
supply chain 1 1. CAD/CAM construction 2. eroding, turning, milling machines 3. production of parts: rubber, plastics, silicone rubber, bipolarplates New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 3
supply chain 2 1. compounding 2. production of bipolarplates 4. ready-made plate 3. machining New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 4
bipolarplate materials plastic materials: filler material high temperature plastics 300 C construction plastics 150 C compound standard plastics 100 C New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 5
bipolarplate materials challenges amount particle size compromises needed BUT conductivity mech. stability custom-made materials are possible! processability homogeneity New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 6
bipolarplate materials no standard processes possible graphite A graphite B different effects on viscosity of the melt different process parameters needed plastic material have similar influences on the processabilitiy New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 7
quality issues electrical conductivity permeability dimensions surface thermal properties mechanical properties chemical resistivity New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 8
quality issues research project: QUALIFIX quality aspects in fuel cell production influence of graphite on the properties of the plate number PPS-amount / wt% amount of graphite / wt% graphite particles manufacturer 1 85 15 small 1 2 85 15 big 1 3 85 15 medium 3 4 80 20 big 1 important quality factor: electrical properties number resistivity in-plane / mohm resistivity thru-plane / mohm 1 56,6 53,5 2 48,6 42,4 3 59,9 50,4 4 46,8 48,4 New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 9
quality issues mechanical properties number impact resistance / kjm -2 elongation at break / % roughness R a /µm 1 1,24 0,24 3,02 2 1,42 0,29 2,50 3 1,39 0,27 3,51 4 1,38 0,33 1,21 New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 10
gaskets material properties to seal the cells to absorb mechanical load to compensate tolerances materials: Property EPDM Si-rubber FKM hardness / Shore A 25-85 25-85 50-90 Young s modulus / MPa 20 8 20 material length / cm Elongation at break / % 450 300 400 temperature / C -50/+100-70/+200-20/+220 Steam resistance ++ ++ ++ oil resistance - + ++ Acid resistance ++ - ++ EPDM, 40 Shore A 41,0 EPDM, 50 Shore A 47,0 FKM 65, Shore A 59,5 FKM 60, Shore A LV 109 Si-rubber, 60 Shore A 124,5 New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 11
gasket processing testing injection molding New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 12
research projects project: biological fuel cell fuel cell which works with hydrogen made by micro-organisms for electricity generation in a waste water treatment plant Eisenhuth: cell design and bipolarplate production 1. generation 2. generation 3. generation improved sealing and stacking larger surface for better performance see the demo model at IFAT2016 (30.05. 03.06.2016, Munich) New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 13
research projects project: NeoHyGen titanium-filled compounds for electrolysis 25 cm² 69 cm² New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 14
current trends and developments new plastic material for HT-PEM fuel cells material resistivity in-plane / mohm new material 4 PPS 40 BBP4 2 research for electrolysis materials upscaling in Redox-Flow Main aims: better processing improved properties lower costs New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 15
Thank you for your attention. New aspects for bipolar plates and gaskets for fuel cells and redox flow batteries 16