Expanded Graphite Fillers in Sheet-Molding Compound Process

燃料电池技术已成为推进零排放汽车的一种选择，特别是对于大重量车辆。燃料电池的关键部件之一是双极板（BPPs）。必须考虑几个标准，包括良好的导电性和导热性，良好的机械强度，耐腐蚀和渗透性，以及无污染物。最常见的bpp是由金属、树脂浸渍的柔性膨胀石墨和石墨热固性复合材料制成的大块成型化合物（BMC）。在这个项目中，我们想探索膨胀石墨（EG）填料在板材成型复合工艺（SMC）。有了EG，预计在保持结构完整性的同时，在较低的填料含量下，应该有可能实现与现有体系相似的导电性。这将推动更高效的燃料电池设计，这将潜在地降低能源发电单位的成本。通过这个合作项目，氢能公司希望开发一种经济上可行的工艺，作为多阶段实现项目的一部分，以实现导电、相对便宜的BPP。积极的结果将是提高加拿大公司在燃料电池市场上的竞争力。这项工作的成功将提高加拿大作为清洁能源技术领导者的地位。加拿大将受益于高薪STEM人员就业的增加。加拿大将受益于氢经济，即“绿色”经济。在这个项目中提出的新概念与金属设计概念的石墨/碳热固性复合材料BPP的开发有关。这一概念只有在薄、强、导电、易于模塑的SMC（片状模塑化合物）可以用波纹设计生产时才有可能实现。Hydrogenics在PEMFC的各个方面进行了研发和产品开发，包括使用BMC的BPP -适用于固定式燃料电池应用。

Fuel cell technology has become an option for the advancement of zero emission vehicle, especially for larger weight class vehicles. One of the key components in a fuel cell are bipolar plates (BPPs). Several criteria must be considered, including good electrical and thermal conductivity, good mechanical strength, resistance to corrosion and permeation, and absence of contaminants. The most common BPPs are made of metal, resin impregnated flexible expanded graphite and graphite-thermoset composite in the form of Bulk Moulding Compound (BMC). In this project, we would like to explore expanded graphite (EG) fillers in a Sheet-Molding Compound process (SMC). With EG, it is expected that it should be possible to achieve similar conductivity to existing systems at lower filler content while maintaining structural integrity. This would propel more efficient fuel cell design which would potentially reduce the cost of the energy generation units. Through this collaboration project, Hydrogenics expects to develop an economically viable process as part of multi-phase actualization project to achieve an electrically conductive, relatively inexpensive BPP. The positive outcome would be to improve a Canadian firm's competitiveness in fuel cells in the market. The success of the work will increase the status of Canada as a leader in clean energy technology. Canada would benefit from the increase employment in the high-paid STEM personnel. Canada would benefit from the Hydrogen economy, i.e., "green" economy. The new concept that is proposed in this project is related to a development of a graphite/carbon thermoset composite BPP with a metallic design concept. This concept is only possible if a thin, strong, electrically conductive, easily mouldable SMC (sheet moulding compound) can be produced with a corrugated design. Hydrogenics has conducted R&D and product development in all aspects of PEMFC, including BPP using BMC - which are suitable for the stationary fuel cell applications.