Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences Vol 25 No 5 (2021): 766 - 775

 

 

 

 

EFFECT OF CARBON FIBER LOADING IN GAPHITE-POLYPROPYLENE COMPOSITE PROPERTIES AS BIPOLAR PLATE FOR POLYMER ELECTROLYTE MEMBRANE FUEL CELL

 

(Kesan Penyebaran Serat Karbon Dalam Gaphit- Polipropilena Komposit Sebagai Plat Dwikutub Untuk Sel Fuel Membran Elektrolit Polimer)

 

Mohd Zulkefli Selamat*, Noor Ashikin Jamil, Rafidah Hasan, Sivakumar Dharmalingam

 

Centre of Advanced Research on Energy (CARe),

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering,

Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Hang Tuah Jaya, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia

 

*Corresponding author:  zulkeflis@utem.edu.my

 

 

Received:  8 August 2021; Accepted: 30 September 2021; Published:  25 October 2021

 

 

Abstract

The performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) is dependent on the properties of bipolar plates (BP). In this research, the BP had been developed using hybrid fillers; graphite (G) as the main filler and carbon fiber (CF) as the second filler while polypropylene (PP) as a binder in G/CF/PP composite. All materials were in powdered form and the composition of this composite was fixed at 80% (fillers) and 20% (PP). The contents of CF was varied from 5% up to 20% of the total weight of fillers (80%). Ball mill was used to mix the fillers and binder together before being pressed by compression molding (hot press) in a rectangular shape (140 mm x 60 mm) mould. The electrical and mechanical properties of the developed composite were measured to investigate its suitability of BP to be used as PEMFC. The result showed that the electrical and mechanical properties decreased as the loading of CF was increased. The composite with 5% of  CF loading showed the highest value of electrical conductivity (262.75 S/cm) and flexural strength (40.2 Mpa). Images of the fractured surface for G/CF/PP composites for various CF contents was determined by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). This finding shows that the properties G/CF/PP composite is suitable for BP of PEMFC in the future.

 

Keywords:  graphite, carbon fiber, polypropylene, electrical conductive polymer composite, bipolar plate

 

Abstrak

Prestasi Sel Bahan Bakar Membran Polimer Elektrolit (PEMFC) bergantung pada sifat plat dwikutub (BP). Dalam penyelidikan ini, BP telah dikembangkan menggunakan pengisi hibrid; grafit (G) sebagai pengisi utama dan serat karbon (CF) sebagai pengisi kedua sementara polipropilena (PP) sebagai pengikat dalam komposit G/CF/PP. Semua bahan dalam bentuk serbuk dan komposisi komposit ini ditetapkan pada 80% (pengisi) dan 20% (PP). Kandungan CF divariasi dari 5% hingga 20% dari jumlah berat bahan pengisi (80%). Kempa bebola digunakan untuk mencampurkan pengisi dan pengikat bersama sebelum ditekan dengan acuan mampatan (tekan panas) dalam bentuk segi empat tepat (140 mm x 60 mm). Sifat elektrikal dan mekanikal komposit yang dihasilkan diukur untuk mengkaji kesesuaiannya untuk digunakan sebagai BP untuk PEMFC. Hasilnya menunjukkan bahawa sifat elektrik dan mekanikal telah menurun apabila kandungan CF meningkat. Komposit dengan kandungan CF 5% menunjukkan nilai tertinggi bagi kekonduksian elektrik (262.75 S/cm) dan kekuatan lenturan (40.2 Mpa). Imej permukaan patah untuk komposit G/CF/PP untuk pelbagai kandungan CF ditentukan oleh Mikroskop Elektron Pengimbas (SEM). Dapatan ini menunjukkan bahawa sifat komposit G/CF/PP sesuai untuk BP PEMFC pada masa akan datang.

 

Kata kunci:  grafit, serat karbon, polipropilena, komposit polimer konduktif elektrik, plat bipolar

 

References

1.      Sadelil, Y., Soedarsono, J.W., Prihandoko, B. and Harjanto, S. (2012). The effects of gompression pressure applied on the manufacture of carbon composite bipolar plate for PEMFC by utilizing gaphite waste products. Advanced Materials Research, 42: 6-66.

2.      Besmann, T. M., Henry, J. J. and Klett, J.W. (2002). Carbon composite bipolar plate for PEM fuel cells. National Laboratory R&D Review DOE Fuel Cells for Transportation Program Denver, Colorado.

3.      Brief, T. (2008). Carbon-filled polymer blend based bipolar plates for PEM fuel cell stack. Chapter in Polymer membranes for fuel cells. Springer: pp 281-305.

4.      Hwang, I. U., Yu, H. N., Kim, S. S., Lee, D. G., Suh, J. Do, Lee, S. H., Ahn, B. K., Kim, S. H. and Lim, T.W. (2008). Bipolar plate made of carbon fiber epoxy composite for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 184(1): 90-94.

5.      Yean D. K., Chong K. W., Cheng Y., Po C. L., Yu S. S. and Cheng Y. L. (2020). Fuel cell stack design using carbon fiber composites. Sensors and Materials, 32(12): 4233-4244.

6.      Stauffer, D. B., Hirschenhofer, J. H., Klett, M. G. and Engleman, R. R. (1998). Fuel cell handbook (No. DOE/FETC-99/1076). Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC), Morgantown, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA.

7.      Selamat, M. Z., Ahmad, M. S., Daud, M. A. M., Jusoff, K., and Saparudin, M. F. (2013). The hybrid conductive filler in the bipolar plate for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 7(3): 72-77.

8.      Lee, J. H., Jang, Y. K., Hong, C. E., Kim, N. H., Li, P. and Lee, H. K. (2009). Effect of carbon fillers on properties of polymer composite bipolar plates of fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 193(2): 523-529.

9.      Mathur, R. B., Dhakate, S. R., Gupta, D. K., Dhami, T. L. and Aggarwal, R. K. (2008). Effect of different carbon fillers on the properties of Gaphite composite bipolar plate. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 203(1-3): 184-192.

10.   Dicks, A. L. (2006). The role of carbon in fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 156(2): 128-141.

11.   Ahmad, M. S., Selamat, M. Z., Daud, M. A. M., Yunus, I. K. M. and Azman, M. S. (2013). Effect of different filler materials in the development of bipolar plate composite for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Applied Mechanics and Materials, (315): 226-230.

12.   Antunes, R. A., Lopes de Oliveira, M. C. and Ett, G. (2011). Investigation on the corrosion resistance of carbon black–Gaphite-poly(vinylidene fluoride) composite bipolar plates for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 36(19): 12474-12485.

13.   Selamat, M. Z., Ahmad, M. S., Daud, M. A. M. and Ahmad, N. (2013). Effect of carbon nanotubes on properties of gaphite/carbonblack/poly- propylene nanocomposites.  Advanced Materials Research, 795: 29-34.

14.   Zulfiqar A., Yuan G., Bo T., Xinfeng W., Ying W., Maohua L., Xiao H., Linhong L., Nan J. and Jinhong Y. (2021). Preparation, properties and mechanisms of carbon fiber/polymer composites for thermal management applications. Polymers, 13:169.

15.   Blunk, R., Abd Elhamid, M. H., Lisi, D. and Mikhail, Y. (2006). Polymeric composite bipolar plates for vehicle applications. Journal of Power Sources, 156(2): 151-157.

16.   Bourell, D. L., Leu, M. C., Chakravarthy, K., Guo, N. and Alayavalli, K. (2011). Gaphite-based indirect laser sintered fuel cell bipolar plates containing carbon fiber additions. CIRP Annals - Manufacturing Technology, 60(1): 275-278.

17.   Brocks, T., Cioffi, M. O. H. and Voorwald, H. J. C. (2013). Effect of fiber surface on flexural strength in carbon fabric reinforced epoxy composites. Applied Surface Science, 274: 210-216.

18.   Selamat, M. Z., Sahari, J., Muchtar, A. and Muhamad, N. (2011). Simultaneous optimization for multiple responses on the compression moulding parameters of composite gaphite - polypropylene using Taguchi method. Key Engineering Materials, 471-472: 361-366.

19.   Selamat, M. Z., Sahari, J., Muhamad, N. and Muchtar, A. (2011). The effects of thickness reduction and particle sizes on the properties gaphite - polypropylene composite. International Journal of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, 6(2): 194-200.

20.   Iswandi, Sulong, A. B. and Husaini, T. (2019). Effects of graphite/polypropylene on the electrical conductivity of manufactured bipolar plate. Malaysian Journal of Analytical Sciences, 23(2 ): 355-361.

21.   Suherman, H., Sulong, A. B. and Sahari, J., 2013. Effect of the compression molding parameters on the in-plane and through-plane conductivity of carbon nanotubes/graphite/epoxy nanocomposites as bipolar plate material for a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. Ceramics International, 39(2): 1277-1284.

22.   Dweiri, R. and Sahari, J. (2007). Electrical properties of carbon-based polypropylene composites for bipolar plates in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). Journal of Power Sources, 171(2): 424-432.

23.   Zakaria, M. Y., Sulong, A. B., Sahari, J. and Suherman, H. (2015). Effect of the Addition of Milled Carbon Fiber as a Secondary Filler on the Electrical Conductivity of Gaphite/Epoxy Composites for Electrical Conductive Material. Composites Part B: Engineering, 83: 75-80.

24.   Alol, A., Otunniyi, I. O. and Pienaar H.C.V.Z. (2019). Prospects of graphite - polypropylene/epoxy blend composite for high performance bipolar plate in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. IOP Conference Series: Material Science and Engineering, 655: 012035.