Fuel Cell Separator Manufacturing for Sealing and Adhesion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for manufacturing fuel cell separators with gaskets result in poor adhesion between the separator and gasket, leading to potential gas leakage and a decrease in hydrophilic properties due to contamination or elimination of hydrophilic groups during the manufacturing process.
Innovation Solution
A method involving press molding of a composition containing graphite powder and resins, followed by roughening, gasket formation, laser irradiation, and hydrophilization treatments to enhance adhesion and maintain hydrophilic properties, ensuring strong bonding and sealing capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a gasket is laminated on a separator and then subjected to blast treatment, then sealing properties are improved, but releasing agent components remain on the separator surface causing poor adhesion and gasket peeling
Solution Approach 1:
The separator surface is subjected to blast treatment and hydrophilization treatment before gasket lamination. This preliminary preparation removes releasing agent components and creates a hydrophilic surface that enhances adhesion, preventing gasket peeling while maintaining sealing properties
Solution Approach 2:
The releasing agent components are removed from the separator surface through blast treatment before gasket lamination. This extraction of harmful substances eliminates the cause of poor adhesion and gasket peeling
2Reliability
If the gasket surface is subjected to blast treatment, then sealing properties are improved, but gas leakage occurs due to gasket breakage or abrasive grains remaining on the surface
Solution Approach 1:
Blast treatment is applied selectively only to the separator surface, not the gasket surface. The gasket is laminated onto the already-treated separator, ensuring the separator has optimal surface properties for sealing while the gasket remains intact without abrasive grains that could cause breakage or gas leakage
3Reliability
If adhesion is performed after hydrophilic treatment, then sealing properties are improved, but hydrophilic properties decrease due to contamination or elimination of hydrophilic groups
Solution Approach 1:
The separator surface is subjected to blast treatment and hydrophilization treatment before gasket lamination. This preliminary preparation creates a hydrophilic surface that enhances adhesion, and the gasket is then laminated onto this prepared surface, preventing contamination of the hydrophilic groups
Solution Approach 2:
The manufacturing process is divided into distinct sequential steps: blast treatment of separator, hydrophilization treatment of separator, then gasket lamination. This segmentation prevents contamination of the hydrophilic surface by releasing agents or other contaminants that would occur if steps were performed in different orders
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 method achieves long-lasting hydrophilic properties and high adhesion between the gasket and separator, preventing peeling even in high temperature and humidity environments, thus maintaining stable power generation efficiency in fuel cells.
Implementation Method 1
performing a laser irradiation treatment and a hydrophilization treatment
Implementation Method 2
performing a laser irradiation treatment and a hydrophilization treatment
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a fuel cell separator, provided with: (A) a press molding step in which a composition containing a graphite powder, an epoxy resin, and a phenol resin is press-molded under heat in a mold to obtain a molded article having a groove that serves as a gas channel on one or both surfaces; (B) a roughening step for roughening the entirety of both surfaces of the molded article; (C) a gasket formation step for forming a gasket on the peripheral edge part of the gas channel surface having the groove that serves as a gas channel in the roughened molded article; (D) a laser irradiation step for irradiating the portion of the gas channel surface where the gasket is not formed, and at least the peak part and the bottom part of the groove that serves as a gas channel, with infrared laser light; and (E) a hydrophilization step for rendering the entire gas channel surface hydrophilic. This manufacturing method makes it possible to obtain a separator having excellent sealing properties in which a decrease in hydrophilic properties due to gasket lamination is prevented and excellent adhesion is obtained between the gasket and the separator.