Fluorinated ethylene–propylene/graphite composites reinforced with silicon carbide for the bipolar plates of fuel cells

Bipolar plates (BPs) for fuel cell applications must meet minimum conductivity requirements while maintaining light weight and sufficient mechanical strength to be thinned and easily fabricated. Here, we prepare BPs comprising fluorinated ethylene–propylene (FEP), graphite flakes (GFs), graphite nanoplates (GnPs), and silicon carbide (SiC) particles for fuel cell applications. SiC particles decorated on large GFs and GnPs improve the flexural strength of the composites relative to the corresponding composites without SiC, resulting in increases of ∼24% and ∼130%, respectively. The improved mechanical properties of the FEP/GnP/SiC and FEP/GF/SiC composites are due to the uniform dispersion of SiC particles and strong chemical bonding between GF (or GnP) and SiC particles in the FEP matrix. Incorporating SiC particles into the FEP/GnP (or GF) composite plate provides a robust, scalable strategy for realizing high-performance, high-temperature fuel cell BPs.