New polymer bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells: Synthesis and characterization

Abstract

Abstract Carbon black (CB) and polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) composites were obtained and subsequently characterized, both microstructurally (DSC and DMA) and electrically. In addition, the electrochemical performance of these materials was tested in the form of bipolar plates, expressly manufactured for this purpose and incorporated in a conventional fuel cell. The results obtained allow for the conclusion that CB incorporation into PVDF yields polymer composite materials with electrical conductivity of about 2.4 S/cm, which may be thermically processed and given any convenient shape with the means conventionally applied in the field of polymer technologies. It was found that CB concentration slightly affects the microstructural parameters of the composites (melting temperature, glass‐transition temperature, Avrami kinetic parameters, etc.). © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 83: 2817–2822, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10257