• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• 제33권11호
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• pp.3589-3592
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• 2012

Carbon composite bipolar plates with various carbon black contents were prepared by a compression molding method. The electrical conductivity and electrochemical stability of the bipolar plates have been evaluated. It is found that the electrical conductivity increases with increasing carbon black contents up to 15 wt %. When the carbon black contents are greater than 15 wt %, the electrical conductivity decreases because of a poor compatibility between epoxy resin and carbon black, and a weakening of compaction in the carbon composite bipolar plate. Based on the results, it could be concluded that there are optimum carbon black contents when preparing the carbon composite bipolar plate. Corrosion tests show that the carbon composite bipolar plate with 15 wt % carbon black exhibits better electrochemical stability than a graphite bipolar plate under a highly acidic condition. When the optimized carbon composite bipolar plate is applied to vanadium redox flow cells, the performance of flow cells with the carbon composite bipolar plate is comparable to that of flow cells with the graphite bipolar plate.

• Carbon letters
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• 제14권1호
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• pp.40-44
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• 2013

The bipolar plate is the most important and most costly component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The development of a suitable low density bipolar plate is scientifically and technically challenging due to the need to maintain high electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Here, bipolar plates were developed from different particle sizes of natural and expanded graphite with phenolic resin as a polymeric matrix. It was observed that the particle size of the reinforcement significantly influences the mechanical and electrical properties of a composite bipolar plate. The composite bipolar plate based on expanded graphite gives the desired mechanical and electrical properties as per the US Department of Energy target, with a bulk density of 1.55 $g.cm^{-3}$ as compared to that of ~1.87 $g.cm^{-3}$ for a composite plate based on natural graphite (NG). Although the bulk density of the expanded-graphite-based composite plate is ~20% less than that of the NG-based plate, the I-V performance of the expanded graphite plate is superior to that of the NG plate as a consequence of the higher conductivity. The expanded graphite plate can thus be used as an electromagnetic interference shielding material.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2010년도 춘계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.144.2-144.2
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• 2010

Bipolar plate는 고분자 전해질 연료전지(PEMFC)에서 핵심 부품 중의 하나이고, 전해질 막이나 촉매 등에 비해서는 상대적으로 쉽게 접근할 수 있기 때문에 많은 연구가 수행되고 있다. Bipolar plate를 제조하는 기술은 크게 금속을 프레스 가공하는 방법, graphite 판을 직접 밀링하는 방법 및 고분자/카본계의 press molding 법 등 3가지로 분류되며, 본 연구에서는 3번째 방법에 의해서 bipolar plate를 대량 생산하는 방법에 대해 연구하였다. 고분자 매트릭스는 에폭시계 수지를 사용하였고, 카본계 재료는 graphite 분말과 carbon nanotube를 사용하였다. 이들 재료들을 일정한 비율로 혼합한 후 differential scanning calorimetry(DSC)를 사용하여 열분석 하였고, 그 결과를 Kissinger equation에 대입하여 경화반응 속도론을 연구하였다. 또한, 경화된 에폭시/탄소 복합재료의 전기전도도, 유리전이온도, 표면에너지 특성 등을 분석하였다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2011년도 춘계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.92.1-92.1
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• 2011

고분자 전해질 연료전지 (PEMFC)의 핵심 부품 중의 하나인 Bipolar Plate (분리판)을 제조하기 위해서 고분자/그라파이트 복합재료를 사용하였다. 고분자 매트릭스로는 경화시 뛰어난 화학적, 기계적 특성을 갖는 에폭시를 채택하였고, 전기 전도성을 부여하기 위해 그라파이트를 도입하였으며, 에폭시 수지의 내충격성을 향상시키기 위해서 Carbon Fiber를 채택하였다. 에폭시 분말과 그라파이트 분말, 그리고 1cm 정도의 길이를 갖는 Carbon Fiber을 믹서에 넣고 균일하게 혼합하였다. 이 혼합물을 이형제 처리된 몰드에 주입하고, Hot Press를 사용하여 가열, 가압 ($150^{\circ}C$, 4 ton/$cm^2$, 2시간)하면서 경화시켰다. 일정 비율로 고정된 에폭시/그라파이트 계에 Carbon Filber의 혼합 비율을 변화시키면서 전기적, 물리적 성질의 변화를 연구하였다.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• 제12권3호
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• pp.330-338
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• 2021

An integral electrode-bipolar plate assembly, which is composed of electrode, conductive adhesive film (CAF) and bipolar plate, has been developed and evaluated for application with a vanadium redox flow battery (VRB) to decrease contact resistance between electrode and bipolar plate. The CAF, made of EVA (ethylene-vinyl-acetate) material with carbon black or CNT (Carbon Nano Tube), is applied between the electrode and the bipolar plate to enable an integral assembly by adhesion. In order to evaluate the integral assembly of VRB by adhesive film, the resistivity of integral assembly and the performance of single cell were investigated. Thus, it was verified that the integral assembly is applicable to redox flow battery. Through resistance and contact resistance of bare EVA and CAF films on bipolar plate were changed. Among the adhesive films, CAF film coated with carbon black showed the lowest value in through resistance, and CAF film coated with CNT showed the lowest value in contact resistance, respectively. The efficiency of VRB single cell was improved by applying CAF films coated with carbon black and CNT, resulting in the reduced overvoltage in charging process. Therefore, the energy efficiency of both CAF films, about 84%, were improved than that of blank cell, about 79.5 % under current density at 40 mA cm^-2. The energy efficiency of the two cells were similar, but carbon black coated CAF improved the coulomb efficiency and CNT coated CAF improved the voltage efficiency, respectively.

• Carbon letters
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.110-116
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• 2013

This study investigated a developed process for producing a composite bipolar plate having excellent conductivity by using coal tar pitch and phenol resin as binders. We used a pressing method to prepare a compact of graphite powder mixed with binders. Resistivity of the impregnated compact was observed as heat treatment temperature was increased. It was observed that pore sizes of the GCTP samples increased as the heat treatment temperature increased. There was not a great difference between the flexural strengths of GCTP-IM and CPR-IM as the heat treatment temperature was increased. The resistivity of GPR700-IM, heat treated at $700^{\circ}C$ using phenolic resin as a binder, was $4829{\mu}{\Omega}{\cdot}cm$ which was best value in this study. In addition, it is expected that with the appropriate selection of carbon powder and further optimization of process we can produce a composite bipolar plate which has excellent properties.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제22권3호
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• pp.409-414
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• 2011

건물용 고분자연료전지는 저탄소 녹색산업화에 기여할 수 있는 대표적인 신재생에너지원으로, 정부 주도의 보급사업을 통해 초기 시장창출이 이루어지고 있다. 고분자연료전지 산업화 촉진을 위해서는 분리판을 비롯한 구성 부품의 상용화 기술개발과 저가화가 필수적이다. 탄소복합체 몰딩분리판의 적용은 고분자연료전지 상용화를 앞당기는데 기여할 것이다. 한국타이어에서 개발한 복합체 몰딩분리판은 고분자연료전지 스택 부품으로서의 요구 특성과 성능을 모두 만족시키는 것으로 나타났다. 한국타이어는 분리판 상용화 기술개발과 지속적인 생산능력 확보를 통해 국산 연료전지의 가격 및 성능 경쟁력 향상을 위해 최선의 노력을 다하고 있다.

• 한국신재생에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국신재생에너지학회 2011년도 춘계학술대회 초록집
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• pp.89.2-89.2
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• 2011

Stainless steel bipolar plates have many advantage such as high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength and low fabrication cost. However, they need a passivation layer due to low corrosion resistance under PEM fuel cell operation condition. In this study, polyphenyene sulfide(PPS)/carbon composite coated stainless steel bipolar plates were fabricated by compression molding method after PPS/carbon composite sprayed on the stainless steel plate. PPS and carbon were chosen as the binder and conductive filler of passivation layer, respectively. The interfacial contact resistance and corrosion resistance of PPS/carbon composite coated stainless steel bipolar plates were investigated and compared to the stainless steel. The PPS/carbon composite coated stainless steel compared to stainless steel was improved interfacial contact resistance. The results of the potentiodynamic and potentiostatic measurements also showed that the PPS/carbon composite coated stainless steel did not corroded under PEM fuel cell operating conditions.

• 한국수소및신에너지학회논문집
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• 제31권1호
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• pp.49-56
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• 2020

Epoxy/carbon composite was used to prepare a bipolar plate for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Phenol novolac-type epoxy and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)-type epoxy mixture was used as a matrix and graphite powder, carbon fiber (CF) and graphite fiber (GF) were used as carbon materials. In order to improve the mechanical properties of the bipolar plate, surface-modified CF was incorporated into the epoxy/carbon composite. To determine the cure temperature of the epoxy mixture, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis was performed and the data were introduced to Kissinger equation in order to get reaction activation energy and pre-exponential factor. Tensile and flexural strength was obtained by using universal testing machine (UTM). The surface morphology of the fractured specimen and the interfacial morphology between epoxy matrix and CF or GF were observed by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

• Composites Research
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• 제29권5호
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• pp.243-248
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• 2016

열경화성 탄소 섬유 복합재료 분리판은 높은 기계적 특성뿐만 아니라 높은 내산성을 갖으나, 높은 제조단가 및 낮은 자체저항이 극복해야 할 가장 큰 장애물이다. 따라서 본 연구에서는, 열가소성 폴리머를 복합재료 분리판의 기지로 적용하여 분리판 생산성과 자체저항이 모두 증가된 열가소성 탄소 복합재료 분리판을 개발하였다. 전기 전도도 및 기계 강도를 증가시기키 위하여 평직 형태의 탄소 섬유 직물을 사용하였으며, 분리판의 자체 저항을 감소시키기 위하여 전도성 나노입자를 열가소성 기지에 혼합하였다. 개발된 분리판의 면적 비저항 및 기계물성을 고온 연료전지 작동 온도 및 스택의 체결압에 따라 측정하였다.