Coating method, bipolar plate, coating system, and computer program product

Abstract

The application provides a coating method, a bipolar plate, a coating system and a computer program product, and relates to the technical field of battery manufacturing. The method comprises the following steps: pretreating a to-be-coated part to obtain a cleaned part; depositing a material film structure on the cleaned part based on sputtering of a target material to obtain a coated part; the material film structure comprises a first layer of a transition coating and a second layer of an inhibition coating; and performing sintering treatment on the coated part to obtain a target part. The bipolar plate comprises a plate base and a material film structure coated on the surface of the plate base; the material film structure comprises a first layer of a transition coating and a second layer of an inhibition coating. The system comprises the following: a pretreatment device for pretreating a to-be-coated part to obtain a cleaned part; a magnetron sputtering device for depositing a material film structure comprising a first layer of a transition coating and a second layer of an inhibition coating on the cleaned part based on sputtering of a first target material and a second target material to obtain a coated part; and a heating device for performing sintering treatment on the coated part to obtain a target part.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of battery manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a coating method, bipolar plate, coating system, and computer program product. Background Technology

[0002] Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), also known as ceramic membrane fuel cells (CMFCs), are all-solid-state chemical power generation devices that efficiently and environmentally convert the chemical energy stored in fuel and oxidant into electrical energy directly at medium to high temperatures. The core of an SOFC stack is the SOFC single cell. Because the operating voltage of a single SOFC cell is relatively low, it is difficult to meet the voltage and power requirements of actual production. Therefore, multiple single cells need to be connected in series and parallel to form a stack.

[0003] Bipolar plates are one of the key components of SOFC stacks, and their main functions are twofold: connecting the cathode and anode of two adjacent cells and providing electrical and thermal conductivity; and serving as a channel for gas flow and separating the air (oxygen) at the cathode from the fuel gas at the anode. Materials used for SOFC bipolar plates must possess good electrical conductivity, corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, gas permeability resistance, and oxidation resistance.

[0004] Currently, chromium-based metals are commonly used as the substrate material for bipolar plates. Chromium-based metals have a high Cr content, and Cr compounds are easily volatilized at high temperatures, resulting in "cathode poisoning". Volatile Cr compounds can pass through porous electrodes and eventually deposit at the three-phase interface, reducing the cathode redox reaction rate and thus affecting the overall performance of SOFC stacks. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the purpose of this application is to provide a coating method, bipolar plate, coating system and computer program product to improve the problem of poor battery performance in the prior art.

[0006] To address the aforementioned problems, in a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a coating method, the method comprising:

[0007] The parts to be coated are pretreated to obtain clean parts;

[0008] A material film structure is deposited on the clean part by sputtering based on the target material to obtain a coated part; wherein, the target material includes a first target material and a second target material; the material film structure includes a first transition coating layer and a second inhibition coating layer;

[0009] The coated part is subjected to sintering treatment to obtain the target part.

[0010] In the above-described process, before coating, to reduce the adverse effects of impurities on the surface of the part to be coated, pretreatment such as cleaning can be performed on the part to be coated to obtain a clean part with a clean surface that facilitates the adhesion of the coating material. A multi-layer material film structure is deposited on the clean part by sputtering the target material in a magnetron sputtering device to obtain the corresponding coated part. The first transition coating layer deposited on the coated part serves as a transition layer between the coating material and the substrate surface of the clean part, reducing porosity and cracks between the coating material and the substrate, and enhancing the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate surface. The second inhibitory coating layer improves the oxidation resistance of the substrate and inhibits the volatilization of elements such as chromium inside the substrate. Furthermore, the coated part can be sintered to improve the stability of the material film structure on the surface of the coated part, resulting in a target part with a stable coating. By using magnetron sputtering to coat the parts, the uniformity and controllability of the coating are effectively improved. By using coatings made of different materials, the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate is enhanced, and the volatilization of elements inside the substrate is reduced. This effectively reduces the adverse effects of element volatilization on the operation of the battery, improves the stability of the battery during operation, and thus optimizes the battery's performance.

[0011] Optionally, the target-based sputtering to deposit a material film structure on the cleaned part to obtain a coated part includes:

[0012] The target material and the cleaning component inside the equipment cavity of the magnetron sputtering equipment are subjected to ion beam cleaning.

[0013] The target material is bombarded, and the sputtered target material particles are deposited on the cleaned part to obtain the material film structure, thus obtaining the coated part.

[0014] In the above implementation process, considering the impurities on the target surface within the magnetron sputtering equipment cavity and the impurities adhering to the surface during the transfer of the clean part, ion beam cleaning can be performed on the surfaces of both the target and the clean part before coating to reduce the adverse effects of impurities on the coating. After ion beam cleaning, the target is bombarded to ensure that the sputtered target particles reach the surface of the clean part and deposit the corresponding material film structure. By performing ion beam cleaning before coating, the purity of the coating material and the cleanliness of the clean part surface can be improved, thereby enhancing the adhesion between the coating material and the clean part surface. Achieving magnetron sputtering coating by bombarding the target effectively improves the coating efficiency, the uniformity, density, and adhesion of the material film structure.

[0015] Optionally, the first target material includes a cerium target material, the second target material includes a cobalt target material; the first transition coating layer includes a cerium coating, and the second suppression coating layer includes a cobalt coating.

[0016] The process of bombarding the target material to deposit the material film structure on the cleaned part based on sputtered target particles, thereby obtaining the coated part, includes:

[0017] The cerium target is bombarded, and the cerium coating is deposited on the cleaned part based on sputtered cerium target particles;

[0018] The cobalt target is bombarded, and the cobalt target particles sputtered are deposited on the cerium coating to obtain the cobalt coating, thus obtaining the coated part having the cerium coating and the cobalt coating.

[0019] In the above-described process, the target material may include cerium and cobalt targets. Correspondingly, the first transition coating layer includes a cerium coating, and the second suppression coating layer includes a cobalt coating. During the coating process, the cerium target is first bombarded to allow the sputtered cerium target particles to reach the surface of the clean part and deposit the corresponding cerium coating. Then, the cobalt target is bombarded to allow the sputtered cobalt target particles to reach the surface of the cerium coating and deposit the corresponding cobalt coating, thus obtaining a coated part with both cerium and cobalt coatings. This allows for the superposition of cerium-cobalt coatings, using the cerium coating as a transition coating between the clean part substrate and the cobalt coating. This reduces porosity and cracks between the cobalt coating and the substrate, enhances the adhesion between the cobalt coating and the substrate, improves the oxidation resistance of the substrate through the cobalt coating, and suppresses element volatilization within the substrate, thereby optimizing the working performance of the resulting target part.

[0020] Optionally, the method further includes:

[0021] The coating requirements are determined based on the workpiece parameters of the part to be coated;

[0022] The operating parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment are set based on the coating requirements; wherein, the thickness of the first transition coating layer and the second suppression coating layer are determined based on the operating parameters; the operating parameters include: sputtering power, cavity temperature, ion beam bias voltage during sputtering, and coating time.

[0023] In the above implementation process, considering that different types of parts to be coated have different coating requirements, the corresponding coating requirements can be determined according to the workpiece parameters. Different operating parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment can be set according to different coating requirements, enabling the generation of a first transition coating layer and a second inhibition coating layer of different thicknesses based on these different operating parameters. The operating parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment can be adjusted according to actual coating requirements to obtain the required thickness of the first transition coating layer and the second inhibition coating layer, achieving controllability and adjustability of the coating thickness and meeting the coating requirements of various different parts.

[0024] Optionally, the step of sintering the coated part to obtain the target part includes:

[0025] The coated part is subjected to a cooling treatment;

[0026] Based on preset temperature and oxidation time conditions, the coated part after cooling is subjected to high-temperature oxidation treatment to obtain the target part with an inhibitory coating oxide film on the surface of the second inhibitory coating.

[0027] In the above implementation process, to improve the stability of the coating on the surface of the coated part, the coated part can first undergo a cooling treatment. During the cooling process, atoms between the coating and the substrate diffuse into each other, and the difference in the coefficients of thermal expansion between the coating and the substrate improves the adhesion of the coating. After cooling, the coated part is subjected to a high-temperature oxidation treatment according to preset temperature and oxidation time conditions. This allows the second inhibitory coating to form a corresponding inhibitory oxide film through high-temperature oxidation, resulting in the target part. This method improves the adhesion of the coating through cooling and generates the corresponding oxide film layer through high-temperature oxidation, effectively enhancing the bonding force between the coating and the substrate, as well as the stability of the coating. It further optimizes the inhibitory effect of the coating on the volatilization of elements within the substrate.

[0028] Optionally, the pretreatment of the part to be coated to obtain a clean part includes:

[0029] The part to be coated is subjected to sandblasting to obtain a sandblasted part;

[0030] The sandblasted part is subjected to high-temperature oxidation and annealing treatment to obtain an oxidized part with a newly formed oxide film layer;

[0031] The oxidized part is cleaned to obtain the cleaned part.

[0032] In the above process, to improve the cleanliness of the part surface, the part to be coated can first be sandblasted to remove impurities and the original oxide film layer, resulting in a sandblasted part. Considering that the oxide film layer also has a corresponding inhibitory function on the volatilization of elements inside the substrate, the sandblasted part can be subjected to high-temperature oxidation and annealing treatment to obtain an oxidized part with a newly formed oxide film layer. The oxidized part is then cleaned to obtain a clean part with fewer impurities and a stable newly formed oxide film layer. By sequentially treating the part to be coated through sandblasting, high-temperature oxidation, annealing, and cleaning, the cleanliness of the clean part and the stability of its newly formed oxide film layer are effectively improved, further reducing the adverse effects of volatilization of elements inside the substrate and minimizing the adverse effects of impurities on the coating.

[0033] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a bipolar plate, the bipolar plate comprising: a substrate and a material film structure deposited on the surface of the substrate;

[0034] The material membrane structure includes a first transition coating layer and a second inhibition coating layer.

[0035] In the above implementation process, the surface of the bipolar plate is coated with a first transition coating and a second inhibition coating. The first transition coating serves as a transition layer between the coating material and the substrate surface, reducing pores and cracks between the coating material and the substrate, and enhancing the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate surface. The second inhibition coating improves the oxidation resistance of the substrate and inhibits the volatilization of chromium and other elements inside the substrate, thereby improving the stability of the bipolar plate during operation and optimizing the working performance of the battery in which the bipolar plate is located.

[0036] Optionally, the thickness of the first transition coating layer is d1, where 10nm≤d1≤30nm;

[0037] The thickness of the second inhibitory coating is d2, where 600nm ≤ d2 ≤ 1000nm.

[0038] In the above implementation process, considering the transition and bonding functions of the first transition coating and the suppression function of the second suppression coating, the thickness of the first transition coating is thinner and the thickness of the second suppression coating is thicker than that of the two coatings. This is to reduce the overall thickness of the material film structure by bonding the substrate with the second suppression coating through the thinner first transition coating, and to suppress the volatilization of elements inside the substrate by the sufficiently thick second suppression coating. This reduces the cost of bipolar plate coating and further improves the stability of the bipolar plate during operation, thereby optimizing the working performance of the battery in which the bipolar plate is located.

[0039] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a coating system, the system comprising: a pretreatment device, a magnetron sputtering device, and a heating device; the magnetron sputtering device includes a first target and a second target;

[0040] The pretreatment equipment is used to pretreat the parts to be coated, resulting in clean parts;

[0041] The magnetron sputtering equipment is used to deposit a material film structure comprising a first transition coating layer and a second inhibition coating layer on the clean part based on sputtering of the first target and the second target, to obtain a coated part;

[0042] The heating device is used to sinter the coated part to obtain the target part.

[0043] In the above process, the part to be coated is pretreated by cleaning and other pretreatments using a pretreatment device to obtain a clean part with a clean surface that is easy for the coating material to adhere. Two types of targets are bombarded by a magnetron sputtering device to deposit a multilayer material film structure on the clean part based on the sputtering of the target materials, thereby obtaining the corresponding coated part. The coated part is then sintered by a heating device to improve the stability of the material film structure on the surface of the coated part, thereby obtaining a target part with a stable coating.

[0044] Fourthly, embodiments of this application also provide a computer program product, the computer program product including a computer program / instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of any of the above-described coating methods.

[0045] In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a coating method, a bipolar plate, a coating system, and a computer program product. By performing coating treatment on the part to be coated using magnetron sputtering, the uniformity of the coating and the controllability of the coating are effectively improved. Furthermore, by using coatings of different materials, the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate is improved, and the volatilization of elements inside the substrate is reduced. This effectively reduces the adverse effects of element volatilization on the operation of the battery, improves the stability of the battery during operation, and thus optimizes the battery's performance. Attached Figure Description

[0046] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments of this application will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0047] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart of a coating method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2 A detailed flowchart of step S200 provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 A detailed flowchart of step S220 provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 4 A schematic flowchart of another coating method provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0051] Figure 5 A detailed flowchart of step S300 provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0052] Figure 6 A detailed flowchart of step S100 provided for an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a bipolar plate provided in an embodiment of this application;

[0054] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a coating system provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Icons: 510 - Substrate; 520 - Material membrane structure; 521 - First transition coating layer; 522 - Second inhibition coating layer; 600 - Coating system; 610 - Pretreatment equipment; 620 - Magnetron sputtering equipment; 630 - Heating equipment. Detailed Implementation

[0056] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the embodiments of this application.

[0057] To meet the performance requirements of SOFC stacks, chromium-based metals are currently commonly used as the substrate material for bipolar plates to achieve electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and insulation. However, due to the high chromium content in chromium-based metals, chromium compounds are prone to volatilization at high temperatures, resulting in "cathode poisoning." Volatile chromium compounds can penetrate porous electrodes and eventually deposit at the three-phase interface, reducing the cathode redox reaction rate and thus affecting the overall performance of the SOFC stack.

[0058] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a coating method, a bipolar plate, a coating system, and a computer program product. The coating process utilizes magnetron sputtering to coat the workpiece, effectively improving the uniformity and controllability of the coating. Furthermore, by using coatings made of different materials, the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate is enhanced, reducing the volatilization of elements within the substrate. This effectively minimizes the adverse effects of element volatilization on the battery's operation, improving battery stability and thus optimizing battery performance.

[0059] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a coating method provided in an embodiment of this application, which may include steps S100-S300.

[0060] Step S100: Pre-treat the part to be coated to obtain a clean part.

[0061] Before coating, in order to reduce the adverse effects of impurities on the surface of the part to be coated on the coating, the part can be pre-treated by cleaning to obtain a clean part with a clean surface that is easy for the coating material to adhere.

[0062] Optionally, pretreatment may include cleaning the part to be coated with various types of cleaning solutions, such as cleaning the part to be coated with an alcohol solution, to obtain a clean part with a clean surface.

[0063] For example, the part to be coated can be of various types that require coating treatment, such as bipolar plates in an SOFC fuel cell stack.

[0064] Step S200: Based on the sputtering of the target material, a material film structure is deposited on the clean part to obtain the coated part.

[0065] Among them, a multilayer material film structure can be deposited on a clean part by sputtering a target material in a magnetron sputtering device to obtain the corresponding coated part.

[0066] Optionally, the target material in the magnetron sputtering equipment includes a first target and a second target made of two different materials. The film structure includes a first transition coating and a second suppression coating. The first transition coating is a film layer deposited based on target particles sputtered from the first target, and the second suppression coating is a film layer deposited based on target particles sputtered from the second target. The first transition coating deposited on the coated part can serve as a transition layer between the coating material and the surface of the cleaned substrate, thereby reducing porosity and cracks between the coating material and the substrate and enhancing the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate surface. The second suppression coating can improve the oxidation resistance of the substrate and suppress the volatilization of elements such as chromium inside the substrate.

[0067] It should be noted that two different target materials can be bombarded separately to form a multilayer material film structure.

[0068] Step S300: The coated part is sintered to obtain the target part.

[0069] In order to improve the purity of the coating, magnetron sputtering equipment usually evacuates the equipment cavity during coating. Considering the chemical reaction between the coating material and other substances after the coated part leaves the vacuum cavity, the coated part can be sintered to improve the stability of the material film structure on the surface of the coated part and obtain a target part with a stable coating.

[0070] It should be noted that coating by magnetron sputtering can improve the quality of the film structure and reduce the cost of coating.

[0071] exist Figure 1In the illustrated embodiment, the coating process is performed on the part to be coated by magnetron sputtering, which effectively improves the uniformity of the coating and the controllability of the coating. By using coatings of different materials, the adhesion between the coating material and the substrate is improved, and the volatilization of elements inside the substrate is reduced. This effectively reduces the adverse effects of element volatilization on the operation of the battery, improves the stability of the battery during operation, and thus optimizes the battery's performance.

[0072] Optionally, please refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 The following is a detailed flowchart of step S200 provided in an embodiment of this application. Step S200 may include steps S210-S220.

[0073] Step S210: Ion beam cleaning is performed on the target material and cleaning parts inside the equipment cavity of the magnetron sputtering equipment.

[0074] In particular, considering the impurities on the surface of the target material inside the equipment cavity of magnetron sputtering, as well as the impurities adhering to the surface during the transfer of the cleaning parts, the surfaces of the target material and the cleaning parts can be ion-beam cleaned separately before coating treatment. This pre-sputtering method reduces the adverse effects of impurities on the coating.

[0075] It should be noted that before the pre-sputtering cleaning process, the equipment cavity can be subjected to vacuuming, heating, and pressurization to provide a suitable working environment with vacuum, appropriate temperature, and glow discharge conditions for the coating process. The appropriate vacuum level can be set according to the size of the equipment cavity and the purity requirements of the coating, for example, controlling the vacuum level at 5 × 10⁻⁶. -3Pa To provide a vacuum working environment for coating, the purity of the film structure is improved. Considering the potential presence of moisture on the surface of the cleaned part, the equipment cavity can be heated, for example, by controlling the temperature of the equipment cavity at around 150 degrees Celsius, to remove moisture from the surface of the cleaned part and improve the adhesion between the coating material and the surface of the cleaned part through high temperature. To bombard the target material to achieve sputter coating of the target particles, argon gas can be continuously introduced into the equipment cavity. The partial pressure of argon gas is set in the range of 0.01 to 0.1 MPa to meet the gas pressure conditions for glow discharge. Argon gas can ionize under the action of an electric field to form plasma, providing ions to bombard the target material, causing the target particles to be sputtered. Argon ions have a large mass and can effectively transfer energy, improving the sputtering efficiency of the target particles. Furthermore, argon gas is an inert gas, which can effectively prevent the target material and the cleaned part from reacting with reactive gases at high temperatures, avoiding oxidation or contamination. Argon gas can also maintain an appropriate pressure in the cavity to ensure the stable operation of the sputtering process. By adjusting the argon flow rate and pressure, the uniformity, density, and adhesion of the coating can also be controlled.

[0076] Step S220: The target material is bombarded, and the sputtered target material particles are deposited on the clean part to obtain a material film structure, thus obtaining a coated part.

[0077] In this process, after ion beam cleaning, the target material can be bombarded by positive ions formed by argon ionization under the action of magnetic and electric fields, so that the sputtered target material particles can reach the surface of the cleaned part and deposit the corresponding material film structure.

[0078] exist Figure 2 In the illustrated embodiment, ion beam cleaning before coating can improve the purity of the coating material and the cleanliness of the cleaned part surface, thereby improving the bonding between the coating material and the cleaned part surface. Magnetron sputtering coating is achieved by bombarding the target material, which effectively improves the coating efficiency, uniformity, density and adhesion of the material film structure.

[0079] It should be noted that the first target material may include a cerium target material, the second target material may include a cobalt target material, and correspondingly, the first transition coating layer may include a cerium coating layer, and the second inhibition coating layer may include a cobalt coating layer.

[0080] For example, in order to improve the purity of the film structure, the purity of the cerium target can be set to greater than or equal to 99.9%, and the purity of the cobalt target can be set to greater than or equal to 99.95%.

[0081] Optionally, please refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 The following is a detailed flowchart of step S220 provided in an embodiment of this application. Step S220 may include steps S221-S222.

[0082] Step S221: The cerium target is bombarded, and the sputtered cerium target particles are deposited on the clean part to obtain a cerium coating.

[0083] In the coating process, the cerium target is first bombarded so that the sputtered cerium target particles can reach the surface of the clean part and deposit the corresponding cerium coating.

[0084] It should be noted that the cerium coating can be deposited on the coating grain boundaries of the metal on the surface of the clean part, serving as a transition layer between the surface of the clean part and the cobalt coating. This significantly reduces the porosity and cracks between the cobalt coating and the substrate on the surface of the clean part, enhances the bonding force between the cobalt coating and the substrate on the surface of the clean part, and reduces the expansion of microcracks between them.

[0085] Step S222: The cobalt target is bombarded, and the cobalt target particles are deposited on the cerium coating to obtain a cobalt coating, resulting in a coated part with both a cerium coating and a cobalt coating.

[0086] In this process, after the cerium coating is deposited, the cobalt target is bombarded so that the sputtered cobalt target particles can reach the surface of the cerium coating and deposit the corresponding cobalt coating, thus obtaining a coated part with both cerium and cobalt coatings.

[0087] It should be noted that the cobalt coating can be superimposed on the cerium coating, which can effectively suppress the volatilization of chromium in the clean component substrate, so that chromium oxide will not volatilize and deposit on the cathode of the battery. This effectively ensures the rate of the redox reaction of the cathode, optimizes the working performance and stability of the battery stack, and also reduces the diffusion of external oxygen into the clean component substrate.

[0088] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated embodiment, a cerium-cobalt coating can be superimposed, with the cerium coating serving as a transition coating between the cleaning component substrate and the cobalt coating. This reduces porosity and cracks between the cobalt coating and the substrate, enhances the adhesion between the cobalt coating and the substrate, improves the antioxidant properties of the substrate through the cobalt coating, and suppresses the volatilization of elements within the substrate, thereby optimizing the working performance of the obtained target component.

[0089] Optionally, please refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of another coating method provided in an embodiment of this application. The method may further include steps S410-S420.

[0090] Step S410: Determine the coating requirements based on the workpiece parameters of the part to be coated.

[0091] In particular, considering that different types of parts to be coated have different coating requirements, the corresponding coating requirements can be determined based on the workpiece parameters of the parts to be coated.

[0092] Optionally, the workpiece parameters may include various types of parameters such as the substrate material type, shape parameters, and model parameters of the workpiece to be coated, and the coating requirements may include various data such as the required number of coatings and the thickness conditions of each coating.

[0093] Step S420: Set the operating parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment based on the coating requirements.

[0094] Among them, different working parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment can be set according to different coating requirements, and different thicknesses of the first transition coating and the second inhibition coating can be obtained based on different working parameters.

[0095] It should be noted that the thickness of the first transition coating and the second inhibition coating are determined based on the working parameters. In order to achieve different thicknesses of the first transition coating and the second inhibition coating, different working parameters can be set for the two types of target materials respectively.

[0096] Optionally, the operating parameters may include various parameters that affect the operation of magnetron sputtering, such as sputtering power, cavity temperature, ion beam bias voltage during sputtering, and coating time.

[0097] For example, taking the part to be coated as a bipolar plate, the first transition coating as a cerium coating, and the second suppression coating as a cobalt coating, the first operating parameters of the first transition coating may include: sputtering power set to 0.6 kW, cavity temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, ion beam bias voltage during sputtering of -100 V, and coating time of 20 minutes. The second operating parameters of the second suppression coating may include: sputtering power set to 2.5 kW, cavity temperature of 200 degrees Celsius, ion beam bias voltage during sputtering of -100 V, and coating time of 25 minutes, so as to meet the coating requirements of different thicknesses through different operating parameters.

[0098] exist Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, the operating parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment can be adjusted according to the actual coating requirements to obtain the required thickness of the first transition coating layer and the second inhibition coating layer, thereby achieving controllability and adjustability of the coating thickness and meeting the coating requirements of various different parts.

[0099] Optionally, please refer to Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a detailed flowchart of step S300 provided in an embodiment of the present application. Step S300 may include steps S310-S320.

[0100] Step S310: Cool the coated part.

[0101] In order to improve the stability of the coating on the surface of the coated part, the coated part can be cooled down first, so that the atoms between the coating and the substrate can diffuse into each other during the cooling process, and the adhesion of the coating can be improved by the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the coating and the substrate.

[0102] Optionally, cooling can be performed in various ways to reduce thermal stress between the material film structure and the substrate, thereby reducing the likelihood of film cracking or peeling. Examples include natural cooling (turning off the heating function of the equipment cavity and allowing the cavity and its interior to cool naturally), forced cooling (using a fan or water cooling system to cool the coated part), segmented cooling (dividing the cooling process into multiple stages for gradual cooling), gas cooling (introducing cooling gases such as nitrogen into the equipment cavity), vacuum cooling (slowly cooling within a vacuum equipment cavity), and substrate cooling (cooling the substrate separately). The appropriate cooling method can be selected based on the material properties of the film structure, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the substrate material, and the actual conditions of the equipment.

[0103] Step S320: Based on preset temperature and oxidation time conditions, the de-cooled coated part is subjected to high-temperature oxidation treatment to obtain a target part with an inhibitory coating oxide film on the surface of the second inhibitory coating.

[0104] After cooling, the coated part is subjected to high-temperature oxidation treatment according to the preset temperature and oxidation time conditions, so that the second layer of inhibition coating is oxidized at high temperature to generate the corresponding inhibition coating oxide film, and the corresponding target part is obtained.

[0105] It should be noted that the oxide film of the inhibitory coating is an oxide film layer formed on the surface of the second inhibitory coating after high-temperature oxidation.

[0106] Optionally, high-temperature oxidation treatment can be carried out in various types of heating equipment, such as box-type resistance furnaces. The temperature condition can be the temperature threshold of the heating equipment, for example, setting the temperature threshold of the heating equipment to be greater than or equal to 850 degrees Celsius. The oxidation time condition can be the working time of the heating equipment, for example, setting the working time of the heating equipment to 4 hours.

[0107] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated embodiment, the adhesion of the coating can be improved by cooling and the corresponding oxide film layer can be generated by high-temperature oxidation, which effectively improves the bonding force between the coating and the substrate and the stability of the coating, and further optimizes the effect of the coating on inhibiting the volatilization of elements inside the component substrate.

[0108] Optionally, please refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 The following is a detailed flowchart of step S100 provided in an embodiment of this application. Step S100 may include steps S110-S130.

[0109] Step S110: Sandblast the part to be coated to obtain a sandblasted part.

[0110] In order to improve the cleanliness of the parts surface, the parts to be coated can be sandblasted first to remove impurities and the original oxide film layer on the surface of the parts to be coated, so as to obtain the corresponding sandblasted parts.

[0111] It should be noted that since the original oxide film layer of the part to be coated may contain a variety of impurities, the original oxide film layer can be removed during sandblasting. Sandblasting can also increase the roughness of the substrate surface, further improving the adhesion of the coating material on the substrate surface.

[0112] Step S120: The sandblasted part is subjected to high-temperature oxidation and annealing treatment to obtain an oxidized part with a newly formed oxide film layer.

[0113] In particular, considering that the oxide film layer also has a corresponding function of inhibiting the volatilization of elements inside the substrate, the sandblasted parts can be subjected to high-temperature oxidation treatment and annealing treatment to obtain oxide parts with a new oxide film layer, so as to inhibit the volatilization of elements inside the substrate through the new oxide film layer with a low impurity content.

[0114] Optionally, high-temperature oxidation treatment can be carried out in heating equipment such as a high-temperature oxidation furnace, according to the set temperature and time, for example, heating at 850 degrees Celsius for 1 hour for high-temperature oxidation treatment. After high-temperature oxidation treatment, annealing treatment is carried out to release the internal stress of the oxidized part, reduce the bending phenomenon of the device due to unreleased stress under high-temperature conditions, and thus reduce the breakage or discontinuity of the newly formed oxide film layer and the coating layer subsequently deposited on the device caused by bending.

[0115] Step S130: Clean the oxidized part to obtain a clean part.

[0116] Considering the potential impurities on the surface of the oxidized parts after high-temperature oxidation and annealing, the oxidized parts can be cleaned to obtain clean parts with fewer impurities and a stable new oxide film layer.

[0117] For example, oxidized parts can be cleaned in cleaning solutions such as acetone or alcohol. In order to optimize the cleaning effect, ultrasonic cleaning can also be used.

[0118] exist Figure 6 In the illustrated embodiment, the parts to be coated are sequentially treated by sandblasting, high-temperature oxidation, annealing, and cleaning, which effectively improves the cleanliness of the cleaned parts and the stability of the newly formed oxide film on their surface, further reduces the adverse effects of the volatilization of elements inside the substrate, and reduces the adverse effects of impurities on the coating.

[0119] Please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a bipolar plate provided in an embodiment of the present application. The bipolar plate includes: a substrate 510 and a material film structure 520 deposited on the surface of the substrate.

[0120] It should be noted that the material film structure 520 includes a first transition coating layer 521 and a second inhibition coating layer 522. The first transition coating layer 521 serves as a transition layer between the coating material and the surface of the substrate 510, reducing pores and cracks between the coating material and the substrate 510, and enhancing the adhesion between the coating material and the surface of the substrate 510. The second inhibition coating layer 522 improves the oxidation resistance of the substrate 510 and inhibits the volatilization of chromium and other elements inside the substrate 510, thereby improving the stability of the bipolar plate during operation and optimizing the working performance of the battery in which the bipolar plate is located.

[0121] It should be noted that the 520 material film structure can also effectively reduce the surface resistance of the bipolar plate and effectively improve the conductivity of the bipolar plate.

[0122] For example, materials with conductivity, corrosion resistance, thermal conductivity, gas permeability resistance, and oxidation resistance can be selected according to the functional requirements of the battery. For instance, chromium-based metal materials, such as 441 stainless steel, can be selected.

[0123] For example, the first transition coating 521 can be a cerium coating, and the second inhibition coating 522 can be a cobalt coating.

[0124] Optionally, the thickness of the first transition coating 521 is d1, where 10nm ≤ d1 ≤ 30nm, and the thickness of the second suppression coating 522 is d2, where 600nm ≤ d2 ≤ 1000nm. Considering the transition and bonding functions of the first transition coating 521 and the suppression function of the second suppression coating 522, the thickness of the first transition coating 521 is thinner and the thickness of the second suppression coating 522 is thicker. This allows the thinner first transition coating 521 to bond the substrate 510 with the second suppression coating 522, reducing the overall thickness of the film structure 520. Furthermore, the sufficiently thick second suppression coating 522 suppresses the volatilization of elements within the substrate 510. This reduces the cost of bipolar plate coating while further improving the stability of the bipolar plate during operation, thereby optimizing the performance of the battery containing the bipolar plate.

[0125] For example, the thickness d1 of the cerium coating is set to 25 nm and the thickness d2 of the cobalt coating is set to 800 nm. This can further reduce the overall film thickness of the material film structure 520 while satisfying the function of suppressing element volatilization, so as to improve the coating efficiency.

[0126] Please see Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a coating system provided in an embodiment of the present application. The coating system 600 may include a pretreatment device 610, a magnetron sputtering device 620, and a heating device 630; the magnetron sputtering device includes a first target and a second target.

[0127] Optionally, in order to achieve automated coating treatment, the pretreatment equipment 610, the magnetron sputtering equipment 620, and the heating equipment 630 can be connected to each other via wires, networks, Bluetooth, or other means.

[0128] Pretreatment equipment 610 is used to pretreat the parts to be coated to obtain clean parts;

[0129] The magnetron sputtering apparatus 620 is used for sputtering based on a first target and a second target to deposit a material film structure including a first transition coating and a second inhibition coating on a clean part to obtain a coated part;

[0130] Heating equipment 630 is used to sinter the coated parts to obtain the target parts.

[0131] In an optional embodiment, the magnetron sputtering apparatus 620 is specifically used for: ion beam cleaning of the target material and the cleaning part within the apparatus cavity; bombarding the target material, and depositing a material film structure on the cleaning part based on sputtered target particles to obtain a coated part.

[0132] In an optional embodiment, the first target material includes a cerium target material, and the second target material includes a cobalt target material; the first transition coating layer includes a cerium coating layer, and the second suppression coating layer includes a cobalt coating layer; the magnetron sputtering apparatus 620 is specifically used to: bombard the cerium target material to deposit a cerium coating layer on a clean part based on sputtered cerium target material particles; bombard the cobalt target material to deposit a cobalt coating layer on the cerium coating based on sputtered cobalt target material particles, thereby obtaining a coated part having both a cerium coating layer and a cobalt coating layer.

[0133] In an optional embodiment, the magnetron sputtering apparatus 620 is specifically used to: determine the coating requirements based on the workpiece parameters of the part to be coated; and set the operating parameters based on the coating requirements; wherein the thickness of the first transition coating layer and the second suppression coating layer is determined based on the operating parameters; the operating parameters include: sputtering power, cavity temperature, ion beam bias voltage during sputtering, and coating time.

[0134] In an optional embodiment, the heating device 630 is specifically used for: cooling the coated part; and, based on preset temperature and oxidation time conditions, performing high-temperature oxidation on the cooled coated part to obtain a target part with an inhibitory coating oxide film on the surface of the second inhibitory coating.

[0135] In an optional embodiment, the pretreatment equipment 610 is specifically used for: sandblasting the part to be coated to obtain a sandblasted part; performing high-temperature oxidation and annealing on the sandblasted part to obtain an oxidized part with a newly formed oxide film layer; and cleaning the oxidized part to obtain a clean part.

[0136] For example, the pretreatment equipment 610 may include corresponding sandblasting equipment, high-temperature oxidation furnace and ultrasonic cleaning equipment, etc., and the heating equipment 630 may include corresponding high-temperature oxidation furnace, box-type resistance furnace and other equipment.

[0137] Since the principle of the coating system 600 in this embodiment is similar to that of the aforementioned coating method embodiment, the implementation of the coating system 600 in this embodiment can refer to the description in the above-mentioned coating method embodiment, and the repeated parts will not be described again.

[0138] This application also provides a computer program product, which includes a computer program / instructions. When the computer program / instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the steps of any of the coating methods provided in this application.

[0139] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed device can also be implemented in other ways. The system embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the block diagrams in the accompanying drawings show the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of the device according to various embodiments of this application. In this regard, each block in the block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code containing one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks may occur in a different order than those marked in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagram, and combinations of block diagrams, can be implemented using a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or action, or using a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0140] In addition, the functional modules in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated together to form an independent part, or each module can exist independently, or two or more modules can be integrated to form an independent part.

[0141] If the aforementioned functions are implemented as software functional modules and sold or used as independent products, they can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, or a portion of the technical solution, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0142] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that similar reference numerals and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0143] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any changes or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

[0144] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

Claims

1. A coating method, characterized in that, The method includes: The parts to be coated are pretreated to obtain clean parts; A material film structure is deposited on a clean part by sputtering based on a target to obtain a coated part; wherein the target includes a first target and a second target; the first target includes a cerium target and the second target includes a cobalt target; the material film structure includes a first transition coating and a second suppression coating; the first transition coating includes a cerium coating and the second suppression coating includes a cobalt coating; the process of depositing the material film structure on the clean part by sputtering based on the target to obtain a coated part includes: bombarding the cerium target to deposit the cerium target particles on the clean part to obtain the cerium coating; bombarding the cobalt target to deposit the cobalt target particles on the cerium coating to obtain the cobalt coating, thereby obtaining the coated part having the cerium coating and the cobalt coating; The coated part is subjected to sintering treatment to obtain the target part.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The target-based sputtering process deposits a material film structure on the cleaned part to obtain a coated part, including: The cerium target, cobalt target, and cleaning components inside the equipment cavity of the magnetron sputtering equipment are subjected to ion beam cleaning. The cerium and cobalt targets are bombarded, and the sputtered target particles are deposited on the cleaned part to obtain the material film structure, thus obtaining the coated part.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The method further includes: The coating requirements are determined based on the workpiece parameters of the part to be coated; The operating parameters of the magnetron sputtering equipment are set based on the coating requirements; wherein, the thickness of the first transition coating layer and the second suppression coating layer are determined based on the operating parameters; the operating parameters include: sputtering power, cavity temperature, ion beam bias voltage during sputtering, and coating time.

4. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The process of sintering the coated part to obtain the target part includes: The coated part is subjected to a cooling treatment; Based on preset temperature and oxidation time conditions, the coated part after cooling is subjected to high-temperature oxidation treatment to obtain the target part with an inhibitory coating oxide film on the surface of the second inhibitory coating.

5. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The pretreatment of the part to be coated to obtain a clean part includes: The part to be coated is subjected to sandblasting to obtain a sandblasted part; The sandblasted part is subjected to high-temperature oxidation and annealing treatment to obtain an oxidized part with a newly formed oxide film layer; The oxidized part is cleaned to obtain the cleaned part.

6. A bipolar plate, characterized in that, The bipolar plate is prepared by the coating method according to any one of claims 1-5, and the bipolar plate comprises: a substrate and a material film structure deposited on the surface of the substrate; The material membrane structure includes a first transition coating layer and a second inhibition coating layer.

7. The bipolar plate according to claim 6, characterized in that, in, The thickness of the first transition coating layer is d1, where 10nm ≤ d1 ≤ 30nm; The thickness of the second inhibitory coating is d2, where 600nm ≤ d2 ≤ 1000nm.

8. A computer program product, characterized in that, The computer program product includes a computer program / instruction that, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1-5.

Images