Highly Conductive Polymer Nanocomposites for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) Bipolar Plates: Valuation of a high-purity graphite extracted from a Canadian graphite mine

质子交换膜燃料电池（PEMFC）技术目前吸引了研究人员和政策制定者的极大兴趣，因为它们的大规模使用将打破对化石燃料的依赖并减少温室气体。目前，大多数研究都集中在通过开发新的高性能材料和工业加工技术来提高PEMFC的性能并降低其生产成本，包括那些用于最昂贵/最大组件（双极板）的材料和技术。考虑到我们在拉瓦尔大学和舍布鲁克大学在PEMFC双极板和气体扩散层的导电聚合物基纳米复合材料方面的专业知识，由两个工业合作伙伴NouveauMondeGraphite（NMG）和PlastiquesGagnon发起的这个合作项目的主要目标是进行关于将高纯度石墨（由NMG在魁北克开发）整合到用于PEMFC双极板的新的、更轻的和更便宜的聚合物/石墨纳米复合材料的配方中的详细研究。其中一个主要目标是对锂离子电池中使用的这种特殊等级的石墨进行估值。NMG打算成为全球领先的PEMFC制造商的高性能石墨的战略供应商，Plastiques Gagnon是汽车行业技术部件注射的知名企业，将参与优化薄BPP的制造工艺，我们相信，该项目将有助于提高燃料电池行业的竞争力，并将有助于确保加拿大在这一切割领域提高其全球竞争力。清洁能源技术。

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology is presently attracting a great interest to both researchers and policy makers because their large-scale use will break fossil fuel dependency and reduce greenhouse gases. Most research currently focuses on the improvement of PEMFCs performances and the reduction of their production cost by developing new performant materials and industrial processing techniques, including those for the most expensive/massive components, the bipolar plates.Considering our expertise at Université Laval and Université de Sherbrooke in conductive polymer-based nanocomposites for PEMFC bipolar plates and gas diffusion layers, the main goal of this collaborative project initiated by the two industrial partners Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) and Plastiques Gagnon is to carry out a detailed study on the integration of a high-purity graphite (developed in Quebec by NMG) into the formulation of new, lighter and less expensive polymer/graphite nanocomposite materials for PEMFC bipolar plates. One of the main objectives is the valuation of this special grade of graphite used among others in lithium-ion batteries. NMG intends to become a strategic supplier of high-performance graphite to the world's leading manufacturers of PEMFCs, and Plastiques Gagnon, a well-known player in the injection of technical parts, among others for the automotive sector, will be involved in the optimization of the manufacturing process for thin BPPs through the injection-compression process.We believe that this project will beneficially contribute to the fuel cell industry competitiveness and will help to ensure that Canada increases its competitive global lead in this cutting-edge and clean energy technology.