Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates
The demand for polymer composite solutions in bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has risen due to advantages over metal plates such as longer lifetime, weight reduction, corrosion resistance, flexible manufacturing, freedom of design, and cost-effectiveness. The chal...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Polymers |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/19/3891 |
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| author | Rainer Frank Lisa-Maria Wittmann Tobias Kleffel Benedikt Roth Knut Graichen Dietmar Drummer |
| author_facet | Rainer Frank Lisa-Maria Wittmann Tobias Kleffel Benedikt Roth Knut Graichen Dietmar Drummer |
| author_sort | Rainer Frank |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The demand for polymer composite solutions in bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has risen due to advantages over metal plates such as longer lifetime, weight reduction, corrosion resistance, flexible manufacturing, freedom of design, and cost-effectiveness. The challenge with polymer composites is achieving both sufficient electrical conductivity and mechanical stability with high filler content. A carbon fiber fleece as reinforcement in a graphite-filled polypropylene (PP) matrix was investigated for use as bipolar plate material with increased mechanical and sufficient conductive properties. Plates with a thickness of 1 mm containing four layers of fleece impregnated in the PP-graphite compound were produced in a compression molding process. Particle and fiber interactions were investigated via microscopy. The plates were characterized with respect to the electrical conductivity and mechanical stability. High electric conductivity was reached for fiber-reinforced and plain PP-graphite compound plates, with increased filler content leading to a higher conductivity. The contact resistance remained largely unaffected by surface etching as no polymeric skin layer formed during compression molding. Fiber-reinforced plates exhibit twice the tensile strength, a significantly higher tensile modulus, and an increased elongation at break, compared to PP filled only with graphite. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:37:13Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d3740af23a7444bf821c7f001454ba70 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4360 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:37:13Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Polymers |
| spelling | doaj.art-d3740af23a7444bf821c7f001454ba702023-11-19T14:56:00ZengMDPI AGPolymers2073-43602023-09-011519389110.3390/polym15193891Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar PlatesRainer Frank0Lisa-Maria Wittmann1Tobias Kleffel2Benedikt Roth3Knut Graichen4Dietmar Drummer5Institute of Polymer Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Am Weichselgarten 10, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyInstitute of Polymer Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Am Weichselgarten 10, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyInstitute of Polymer Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Am Weichselgarten 10, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyInstitute of Polymer Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Am Weichselgarten 10, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyChair of Automatic Control, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Cauerstr. 7, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyInstitute of Polymer Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Am Weichselgarten 10, 91058 Erlangen, GermanyThe demand for polymer composite solutions in bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has risen due to advantages over metal plates such as longer lifetime, weight reduction, corrosion resistance, flexible manufacturing, freedom of design, and cost-effectiveness. The challenge with polymer composites is achieving both sufficient electrical conductivity and mechanical stability with high filler content. A carbon fiber fleece as reinforcement in a graphite-filled polypropylene (PP) matrix was investigated for use as bipolar plate material with increased mechanical and sufficient conductive properties. Plates with a thickness of 1 mm containing four layers of fleece impregnated in the PP-graphite compound were produced in a compression molding process. Particle and fiber interactions were investigated via microscopy. The plates were characterized with respect to the electrical conductivity and mechanical stability. High electric conductivity was reached for fiber-reinforced and plain PP-graphite compound plates, with increased filler content leading to a higher conductivity. The contact resistance remained largely unaffected by surface etching as no polymeric skin layer formed during compression molding. Fiber-reinforced plates exhibit twice the tensile strength, a significantly higher tensile modulus, and an increased elongation at break, compared to PP filled only with graphite.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/19/3891compression moldingbipolar platefuel cellfiber reinforcementcarbon fleece |
| spellingShingle | Rainer Frank Lisa-Maria Wittmann Tobias Kleffel Benedikt Roth Knut Graichen Dietmar Drummer Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates Polymers compression molding bipolar plate fuel cell fiber reinforcement carbon fleece |
| title | Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates |
| title_full | Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates |
| title_short | Investigating the Integration of Nonwoven Carbon Fibers for Mechanical Enhancement in Compression Molded Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Bipolar Plates |
| title_sort | investigating the integration of nonwoven carbon fibers for mechanical enhancement in compression molded fiber reinforced polymer bipolar plates |
| topic | compression molding bipolar plate fuel cell fiber reinforcement carbon fleece |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/15/19/3891 |
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