Steel Sheet Surface Structure for Low-Resistance Fuel Cell Separators
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stainless steel fuel cell separators exhibit high resistance due to passivated layers, leading to performance loss and increased manufacturing costs with additional coating processes, which complicates productivity.
Innovation Solution
A steel plate with a joint structure featuring fine protrusions having inter-pitch intervals of 1 to 500 nm, with a texture including (111) and (001) orientations of 10% or more, and a combination of prismatic, rod-shaped, and needle-shaped protrusions, enhancing hydrophilicity and conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional stainless steel is used for fuel cell separators, then manufacturing cost and weight are reduced, but electrical resistance increases due to passivated layer formation
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface parameters of the stainless steel by creating a specific microstructure with fine protrusions (1-500 nm intervals) and controlled crystallographic orientations ((111) and (001) planes ≥10% each). This surface modification reduces contact resistance to 5 mΩ·cm2 without requiring additional coating materials or processes, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining ease of manufacture and reducing electrical resistance.
2Loss of energy
If additional coating with conductive materials is applied to reduce resistance, then electrical conductivity improves, but manufacturing cost and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention enables the stainless steel surface to self-modify through controlled corrosion or surface treatment processes that create the fine protrusion structure and specific crystallographic orientation. This self-organizing surface transformation achieves low contact resistance (5 mΩ·cm2) without requiring external coating materials or complex additional manufacturing steps, thereby maintaining high productivity while improving electrical conductivity.
3Loss of energy
If additional coating with noble materials is applied to reduce resistance, then electrical conductivity improves, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention achieves low electrical resistance by fundamentally changing the surface parameters of the stainless steel itself - creating fine protrusions with 1-500 nm intervals and ensuring specific crystallographic orientations ((111) and (001) planes each ≥10%). This approach eliminates the need for expensive noble material coatings while achieving contact resistance of 5 mΩ·cm2, thereby resolving the contradiction between reducing electrical resistance and minimizing material cost.
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 steel plate achieves excellent hydrophilicity and conductivity, reducing contact resistance to 5 mΩ·cm2 and contact angle to 80° or less, effectively addressing the limitations of conventional separators.
Implementation Method 1
a steel plate with excellent hydrophilicity and conductivity includes a joint structure on the steel plate
Implementation Method 2
a steel plate with excellent hydrophilicity and conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a steel plate with excellent hydrophilicity and conductivity. The steel plate with excellent hydrophilicity and conductivity according to an embodiment may include a joint structure on the steel plate and including fine protrusions having inter-pitch intervals of 1 to 500 nm, wherein the fine protrusions have a texture including a (111) orientation in an area ratio of 10% or more and a (001) orientation in an area ratio of 10% or more.