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Innovative Approach to Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Using Conductive Polymer Blend Composites: Selective Localization of Carbon Fiber at the Interface of Polymer Blends

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Abstract

Carbon fiber-polymer blend composite bipolar plate is developed using epoxy resin and polypropylene as the polymer blend (PB) and short carbon fiber (CF) as conductive reinforcements by melt mixing and compression molding technique. A PB results in a lower percolation threshold, known as the double percolation threshold, compared to a single polymer which requires a high filler concentration. Via thermodynamic and kinetic factors, the selective localization of CF at the interface in the PB was predicted and later confirmed through SEM analysis. The electrical conductivity, flexural properties, tensile properties, impact strength, and water absorption are the characteristics used to evaluate the developed bipolar plates. The electrical conductivities of the prepared composites increased with the addition of CF and reached 16.7 S/cm for the 70 wt% CF reinforcement, as expected. The results showed that the flexural and tensile strength were decreasing with the rising additive ratio of CF. At 30 wt% of CF, PP/Epoxy/CF recorded the highest tensile strength (30 MPa) and flexural strength (72.7 MPa). On the other hand, the impact strength increased as the CF concentration increased from 30 to 60 wt%, reaching the highest value of 7.49 kJ/m2 at 60 wt%. However, at 70 wt%, the impact strength significantly decreased. The water absorption of the composites increased slightly as the CF content increased from 30 to 60 wt%, but significantly increased at 70 wt%. The developed composites met the DOE targets for mechanical properties and water absorption. However, the electrical conductivity of the composites still falls below the targets.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their gratitude to Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Faridabad-121007 (India) for providing the facilities for synthesizing the composites. They also extend their appreciation to Prof. N. Bhatnagar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Delhi, India for supplying the carbon fiber.

Funding

No funding was obtained for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum Studies, Z. H. College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India

    Salah M. S. Al-Mufti & S. J. A. Rizvi

  2. Department of Applied Physics, Z. H. College of Engineering & Technology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, 202002, India

    Asma Almontasser

  3. Research and Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Faridabad, Haryana, 121007, India

    V. K. Kottiyath

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  1. Salah M. S. Al-Mufti
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SMSA and SJAR: designed the study. VKK: prepared the composites. SMSA: performed the measurements, and analyzed the results. SMSA and AA: wrote the paper. AA: conceptualized the manuscript, performed SEM analysis, and analyzed the overall results. SJAR: analyzed the results, reviewed, and edited the manuscript. All authors were involved in the evaluation of results. All authors have reviewed and agreed to publish the final version of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Salah M. S. Al-Mufti or S. J. A. Rizvi.

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Al-Mufti, S.M.S., Almontasser, A., Rizvi, S.J.A. et al. Innovative Approach to Fuel Cell Bipolar Plate Using Conductive Polymer Blend Composites: Selective Localization of Carbon Fiber at the Interface of Polymer Blends. J Inorg Organomet Polym 33, 2618–2635 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10904-023-02681-1

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