Gasket device for a fuel cell stack

Abstract

Provided is a gasket device for a fuel cell stack in which gaskets of different materials are integrally molded in an anode separator (or an anode gas diffusion layer) and a cathode separator (or a cathode gas diffusion layer) to provide sealing stability at low temperatures and long-term stability at high temperatures in a fuel cell integrated with a conventional single material and evenly securing the required physical properties of the fuel cell stack gasket.

Description

technical field [0001] The present disclosure relates to a gasket member for a fuel cell stack that simultaneously improves cell sealing at low temperature and long-term use stability at high temperature. Background technique [0002] One well known fuel cell commonly used to power vehicles is the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). In PEMFCs, to maintain proper sealing of the reactant gases hydrogen / air and coolant in the fuel cell stack, individual cells are typically provided with gaskets. [0003] To use a gasket in the battery pack of a fuel cell vehicle powered by hydrogen, the gasket typically must meet a variety of required physical properties for the fuel cell to function properly (e.g., within a certain hardness range, excellent Elasticity or very low compression set, excellent mechanical properties, excellent resistance to acid and hydrolysis, low diffusivity and permeability to hydrogen / air (or oxygen) / coolant, low content of catalyst poisoning impu...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

In Patent Document 1, it is necessary to integrate two or more kinds of gasket materials with fuel cell components, so the manufacturing process is complicated

In addition, individual gasket materials have different optimal molding conditions and optimal crosslinking conditions, so that when different gasket materials are manufactured under the same injection molding conditions and crosslinking conditions, they may not all exhibit the desired Sufficient required physical properties

[0015] Also, in Patent Document 2, a gasket having two layers (composed of different gasket materials) is integrated with a fuel cell component, so that in a two-layer gasket structure, interfacial adhesion between layers is not particularly good, And when the second gasket layer is injection molded on the first gasket layer, the resistance to the flow of the second gasket material on the surface of the first gasket material is higher than desired, making it difficult to obtain a good Molded product

Also, as in Patent Document 1, when the same molding conditions and crosslinking conditions are provided, neither the first spacer layer nor the second spacer layer may exhibit sufficient desired physical properties

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