Electrical, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Exfoliated Graphite/Phenolic Resin Composite Bipolar Plate for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell

Exfoliated graphite (EG) was synthesized from natural flake graphite by acid treatment followed by microwave irradiation. A maximum expanded volume of 560 mL/g was achieved for this exfoliation of graphite. EG/phenolic resin composite bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell were fabricated with a high loading of EG by compression molding. The composites possess low density, high electrical conductivity, high thermal stability, and high compressive strength. The composite bipolar plates were also characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and so on. The composite prepared with 50 wt% of EG has shown the desired properties for bipolar plate as per the US Department of Energy (DOE-2015) targets. As a result, the EG-resin composites can be used as bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell applications. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:917-923, 2015. (c) 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers