Licensable Technologies : Security & Defense

Corrosion Test Cell for Bipolar Plate Materials

Abstract
This is a corrosion test cell for screening candidate bipolar plate materials for use in PEM fuel cells. The cell has a transparent or translucent cell body having a pair of identical cell body members that seal against opposite sides of a bipolar plate. The cell includes both an anode chamber and a cathode chamber, each on opposite sides of the plate. Each chamber contains a pair of mesh platinum current collectors and a catalyst layer pressed between current collectors and the plate. Each chamber is filled with an electrolyte solution that is replenished with fluid from a much larger electrolyte reservoir. The cell includes gas inlets to each chamber for hydrogen gas and air. As the gases flow into a chamber, they pass along the platinum mesh, through the catalyst layer, and to the bipolar plate. The gas exits the chamber through passageways that provide fluid communication between the anode and cathode chambers and the reservoir, and exits the test cell through an exit port in the reservoir. The flow of gas into the cell produces a constant flow of fresh electrolyte into each chamber. Openings in each cell body member allow electrodes to enter the cell body and contact the electrolyte in the reservoir therein. During operation, while hydrogen gas is passed into one chamber and air into the other chamber, the cell resistance is measured, which is used to evaluate the corrosion properties of the bipolar plate.

Application(s)
Los Alamos National Laboratory has developed a corrosion test cell for screening candidate bipolar plate materials for use in polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells.

Advantages

• Technology can be used to test the anode and cathode surfaces of a cell simultaneously.
• Users can measure ion concentrations versus time.
• Resistance of the oxide layer versus time can be measured using this technology.

IP Status: Available for Non-Exclusive Licensing

Commercialization Strategy: Available for commercial license for the purpose of manufacturing and selling the devices for use in PEM fuel cell testing and development efforts.

Reference Number: 106

S Number: DOE reference no.(s): 91,782

Patents & Applications:
United States National Patent Number 6454922 Issued on 09/24/2002

Posted: 09-20-2004

Contact
Laura Barber
Technology Transfer Division
Los Alamos National Laboratory
P.O. Box 1663, MailStop C334
(505) 667-9266
ljbb@lanl.gov