Novel Graphite Paper/Cu-Coated Magnesium as Bipolar Plates for Ultra-lightweight Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells

Magnesium bipolar plates (BPPs) offer great advantage in realizing the ultra-lightweight target of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). However, high corrosion tendency limits its application. To improve the corrosion resistance and surface conductivity of the Mg BPPs, a novel Graphite paper/Cu coating is proposed in this study. 24 h potentiostatic polarization results reveal that the corrosion current density of the coated specimen dropped by 4 orders of magnitude than that of bare Mg. In addition, the interfacial contact resistance (ICR) of Mg BPPs at 1.4 MPa was remarkably reduced after coating, from 597.22 mO cm(2) to 5.49 mO cm(2) after the polarization test, respectively, which reached the target set by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The results illustrate that the Graphite paper/Cu coating exhibits excellent anti-corrosion and electrical property, which may offer a promising strategy for the coating design on Mg BPPs for ultra-lightweight PEMFCs.

Automated summary

A novel Graphite paper/Cu coating is proposed to improve the corrosion resistance and surface conductivity of Magnesium bipolar plates (BPPs) for ultra-lightweight proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The corrosion current density of the coated specimen dropped significantly compared to bare Mg, and the interfacial contact resistance (ICR) was remarkably reduced after coating. The results demonstrate that the Graphite paper/Cu coating exhibits excellent anti-corrosion and electrical property, providing a promising strategy for coating design in Mg BPPs for ultra-lightweight PEMFCs.