Skip to content
  • Newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact
  • EN
  • DE
  • Newsletter
  • About us
  • Contact
  • EN
  • DE
Search
Close
  • Overview
  • Research
  • Here & now
  • Smart minds
Menu
  • Overview
  • Research
  • Here & now
  • Smart minds
  • Overview
  • Research
  • Here & now
  • Smart minds
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • About us
Menu
  • Overview
  • Research
  • Here & now
  • Smart minds
  • Contact
  • Newsletter
  • About us
Search
  • EN
  • DE
20. March 2017

Cost-efficient production of bipolar plates for fuel cells

IW | In fuel cells, water-cooled bipolar plates function as current collector, gas distributor and serve for heat control. To make their production more cost-efficient, researchers of Leibniz Universität Hannover and TU Chemnitz have developed a new method.

Fuel cells produce electricity from hydrogen and oxygen. One important component of fuel cells are so-called bipolar plates. Presently, their production is very expensive: Two stainless steel sheets are joined by means of laser welding, and then a conductive coating is applied, for example by vapour deposition of gold.
Researchers of the Institute of Materials Science (IW) in Hannover and the Institute of Materials Science and Engineering (IWW) in Chemnitz have found a more favourable solution. Instead of gold, they use chromium nitride layers. Their production is very easy: The plate surfaces are chromium-plated and then treated at high temperature with nitrogen in a shielding gas furnace, producing chromium nitride.
The special highlight: The process conditions in the furnace for the nitriding also allow for soldering up the two plate halves at the same time. This makes laser welding redundant, also shortening the manufacturing process and reducing cost. Moreover, the chromium nitride coating protects the base material against corrosion. Instead of stainless steel, the use of ordinary structural steel is sufficient.

by Ulrich Holländer

Benefits derived from research results

  • Faster and more favourable production of bipolar electrodes for fuel cells
  • Chromium nitride coating replaces expensive vapour deposition of gold
  • Combined soldering/nitriding method shortens manufacturing process
  • Chromium nitride coating as protection against corrosion supersedes expensive stainless steel
IW_Loeten-von-Bipolarplatten_Bild1_Fotolia_109288777_M_02
Fuel cell in the laboratory: Scientists develop more favourable manufacturing method. (Photo: science photo - Fotolia.com)
IW_Loeten-von-Bipolarplatten_Bild2_EN
Scheme of a fuel cell stack: alternating arrangement of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) and bipolar plate. (Graphic: IW)
IW_Loeten-von-Bipolarplatten_Bild3_01
Nitride coating and soldering of the plates in a shielding gas conveyor belt furnace at the Institute of Materials Science. (Photo: IW)
IW_Loeten-von-Bipolarplatten_Bild4_01
Chromium nitride coated test bipolar plate: The novel manufacturing method is presently tested concerning its suitability for daily use. (Photo: IW)
Previous
Next

Contact

Dr. rer. nat. Ulrich Holländer

+49(0) 2302 661653

hollaender@iw.uni-hannover.de

www.iw.uni-hannover.de

This Page

drucken

recommend

  • tweet 

This Page

drucken

recommend

  • tweet 

ISSN 2198-1922 | Legal Information | Privacy notice | Article Sitemap