Graphite Bipolar Plates

Graphite bipolar plate is one of the important components of fuel cells and it's mainly used to connect electrodes and electrolytes. Meanwhile, it has good electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, permeability, and supports membrane electrodes. It is the backbone and foundation of fuel cells.

As the raw material for hydrogen fuel cell bipolar plates, graphite material is relatively thick and more stable. It has certain advantages in durability, corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity, and can withstand high temperature and high pressure environments. In comparison, metal materials are prone to corrosion and require special coating processes. Therefore, graphite material has certain advantages in the selection of bipolar plates for hydrogen fuel cells.

High conductivity. It structurally acts as a series connection of single cells.
Impermeability. It isolates the reacting gas and cooling water in each chamber.
High thermal conductivity. It can quickly transfer the heat generated in the reaction area to the cooling fluid.
High strength, low density, and high heat capacity. It can meet the requirements of structural strength, vibration resistance, power density, and low-temperature start-up of the battery.

A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that generates electrical energy by utilizing the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen. In a hydrogen fuel cell, bipolar plate serves as one of the main structural components of the cell.

The bipolar plate transports hydrogen and oxygen to the reaction zone of the cathode and anode, respectively, while isolating the reaction gases in each chamber. In the reaction zone, the hydrogen on the cathode is decomposed into protons (positively charged hydrogen ions) and electrons (negatively charged) through a catalyst. The protons reach the cathode through a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), while the electrons flow to the anode through an external circuit. At the anode, oxygen combines with protons and electrons through a catalyst to form water, while releasing electrical energy.