Enertect PC+ Coating for Fuel Cell Bipolar Plates

Advancing fuel cell performance for green hydrogen powered transport 

 

In the transport sector, substituting fossil fuels with green hydrogen is linked to the success of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells known as PEM fuel cells. 

 

A key component of the fuel cell is the bipolar plate, which separates each cell from one another in the stack design. The bipolar plate is subjected to great stress, due to the warm humid, acidic and oxygen-rich environment inside the cells, as well as the electrical load. At the same time, the cell performance depends on low resistance.

 

Schaeffler has tackled this challenge by developing Enertect PC+, a thin, high-performance coating for the PEM fuel cell bipolar plates, which significantly improves fuel cell performance. Made of low-cost steel, it is highly durable and can withstand even the harshest conditions in the fuel cell. And as it is made of sustainable, metal-free materials, it also drastically reduces the carbon footprint of the entire fuel cell.

 

Furthermore, the steel sheets are easy to process, which will enable large-scale industrial production. The potential is huge, with an estimated demand of 240,000 fuel cells for trucks and buses by 2030, each using 300 bipolar plates per fuel cell, over 70,000,000 bipolar plates per year can be improved by the Enertect PC+ coating. 

 

With its improvements to fuel cell design, the Enertect PC+ coating makes a significant contribution to carbon-neutral, sustainable mobility, supporting the increase of green hydrogen.