A Review of Thermoplastic Composites for Bipolar Plate Materials in PEM Fuel Cells

Abstract

Polymer composite materials have particular properties that meet special requirements. A conductive polymer composite is positioned to play an increasingly significant role in industry and academia, specifically in the area of electrical conductivity. Even general knowledge about electrically conductive composites has been available for many years, less attention has been given in the literature to the use of conductive composites for alternative energy production. Why is the use of composite materials for energy production interesting? With a continued growth in the worldwide demand for energy, there is increasing interest in alternative technologies of energy generation such as fuel cells, for various stationary and mobile applications. In this chapter, the authors are mainly interested in a fuel cell as an energy generator, since a fuel cell is expected to play a major role in the economy of this century and for the foreseeable future. A number of factors provide the incentive for fuel cells to play a role in future energy supplies and for transportations, including climate change, oil dependency and energy security, urban air quality, and growth in distributed power generation [1]. A polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a good contender for portable and automotive propulsion applications because it provides high power density, solid state construction, high chemical-to-electrical energy conversion efficiency, near zero environmental emissions, low temperature operation (60 120 oC), and fast and easy startup [2,3, and 4]. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has also identified the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells as the main candidate to replace the internal combustion engine in transportation applications [2]; however, barriers to commercialization remain. Fundamental technical challenges facing the commercialization of PEM fuel cells are manufacturing and material costs; material durability and reliability; and hydrogen storage and distribution issues [4, 5, and 6]. One of the major factors limiting fuel cell commercialization is the development of bipolar plates, which are one of PEMFC’s key components. Bipolar plate characteristic requirements are a challenge for any class of materials, and none fits the profile characteristics exactly. Therefore, research on materials, designs and fabrications of bipolar plates for PEMFC applications is a vital issue for scientists and engineers wanting to achieve the appropriate PEMFC for global commercialization. Several types of materials are