The Role of Co-Rotating Twin Screw Extruder In Manufacturing of Conductive Thermoplastic Composites for the Sustainable Energy Sector

加拿大氢燃料电池生产商Hydrogenics正在寻求生产更薄、更明确的双极板，这将导致生产更高效的燃料电池，用于风能和太阳能等可再生资源产生的低密度储能。目前用于制造板材的技术和材料不允许期望的厚度或结构。因此，有必要开发易于成型的材料，同时也允许板结构的精细定义，并且不会增加成本或导电性损失。因此，这种材料的发展提出了许多与能量密度、接触电阻、强度和成形性相关的重大技术挑战。这些挑战的一部分将通过这个项目进行审查。在本研究中处理的主要挑战是在开发所需材料所需的高粘度聚合物基体中，用于电导率的碳填料的高水平但不完全均匀的分散。导电性要求通过在平面内均匀分布的部件厚度的聚集的填料“链”产生通路。这需要一个非典型的混合控制水平，复杂的是系统的非常高的粘度。了解聚合物化学，界面科学和聚合物加工需要系统地克服这些挑战。这个为期六个月的项目的目标是开发用于生产高导电性、轻质双极板的氢能所需材料的示例。该目标将通过系统研究填充剂与聚合物的比例，观察不同的填充剂和增容添加剂来实现。由此产生的混合将提高燃料电池生产的经济性，通常用于低密度能量存储，提高可再生能源（如风能和太阳能）的效率。

Hydrogenics, a Canadian producer of hydrogen fuel cells, is looking to produce thinner and more definedbipolar plates which will result in the production of more efficient fuel cells used for low density energystorage produced by renewable resources such as wind and solar. The current technology and materials used tomanufacture the plates does not allow for the desired thickness or structure. As such it is necessary to develop amaterial that can be readily shaped while also allowing for fine definition of the plate structure and not add asignificant increase in cost, or loss of conductivity. Thus, the development of such a material presents manymajor technical challenges related to energy density, contact resistance, strength and formability to be solved; aportion of these challenges will be examined through this project. The main challenge handled in this study isthe high level yet not completely uniform dispersion of carbon filler for conductivity in a highly viscouspolymer matrix required to develop the required material. Conductivity requires pathways produced byaggregated 'chains' of fillers through the thickness of the part that are uniformly spread out in-plane. Thisrequires an atypical level of mixing control, complicated by the very high viscosity of the system. Anunderstanding of polymer chemistry, interfacial science, and polymer processing is required to systematicallyovercome these challenges.The goal of this six-month project is to develop examples of the desired material for Hydrogenics, for theproduction of highly conductive, lightweight bipolar plates. The goal will be met through a systematic study offiller to polymer ratio, looking at different fillers and compatibilizing additives. The resulting blend willincrease the economics of fuel cell production typically used for low density energy storage increasing theefficiency of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.