Fuel Cell Separator Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Fuel cell separators with conductive oxide coatings face challenges in achieving high electrical conductivity between units due to the rigidity of the separators, which hinders effective contact and conductivity when pressed against flexible carbon sheets.
Innovation Solution
A fuel cell separator featuring an antimony-doped tin oxide film with a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polyethylene glycol (PEDOT/PEG) copolymer content of 15% to 25% by volume, which enhances flexibility and electrical conductivity while maintaining corrosion resistance, and an element ratio of sulfur and carbon to tin between 0.6 and 1.1, allowing improved contact resistance and adhesion between separators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the separator is made rigid to maintain structural stability, then structural stability is improved, but electrical conductivity between separators deteriorates due to inability to deform and make close contact
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a flexible polymer coating film containing antimony-doped tin oxide particles that can deform under pressure. This flexible thin film structure allows the separator to conform to contact surfaces and establish intimate electrical contact with adjacent separators, while the underlying rigid substrate maintains overall structural stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The composite structure of polymer-coated antimony-doped tin oxide particles embedded in a substrate creates a multi-phase material that combines the rigidity of the substrate with the flexibility of the polymer coating, enabling simultaneous achievement of structural stability and electrical contact conductivity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves high electrical conductivity and improved corrosion resistance between separators, optimizing the contact resistance and maintaining the conductive network of tin oxide particles, thereby enhancing the overall performance of the fuel cell separator.
Implementation Method 1
CVD coating film made of a conductive oxide... electrical conductivity... antimony-doped tin oxide film
Implementation Method 2
poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polyethylene glycol (PEDOT/PEG) copolymer... flexibility and electrical conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
A fuel cell separator having high electrical conductivity is provided. A fuel cell separator including, on a substrate, an antimony-doped tin oxide film, in which the antimony-doped tin oxide film contains a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polyethylene glycol (PEDOT/PEG) copolymer in a content of 15% by volume or more but 25% by volume or less is provided.