Biocarbon-based renewable bipolar plates for sustainable fuel cell technology (BioBPP)

Purpose and goal:

The BioBPP hypothesis stage 1 aims to verify the viability of using biocarbon to achieve similar processability and properties as compared to the state-of-the-art graphite composite materials used for bipolar plates and determine whether the idea is feasible for further development. Biocarbon composite materials were successfully manufactured and showed flexural strength close to that defined by Department of Energy (US) for BPP used in transport in 2025.

A stage 2 project will be applied to develop and verify an entire circular value chain for biocomposite BPPs. Expected results and effects:

The BioBPP hypothesis stage 1 developed composite materials containing different biocarbon content, from 50 wt% to 80 wt%, and successfully manufactured composite plates through compression moulding. By adjusting the composite formulations, the flexural strength of the resulting composite materials is close to that defined by Department of Energy (DOE, US) for BPP used in transport in 2025.

Furthermore, the performance of the bio-carbon composites when being demoulded seems to be better than the SotA graphite composites. Approach and implementation:

A consortium composted of 3 Swedish partners - Envigas, a company aiming to become Sweden’s largest producer of bio-carbon, SSAC, an innovative SME focusing on cost efficient and scalable manufacturing of advanced composite parts, and RISE, Swedish research institutes, was built up in the stage 1 to evaluate the feasibility of the BioBPP concept. The feasibility was verified, results were disseminated and discussed with a wide rage of potential actors.

A larger consortium is being built up to develop and verify an entire circular value chain for biocomposite BPPs in stage 2 project.