Effects of resin content and preparing conditions on the properties of polyphenylene sulfide resin/graphite composite for bipolar plate

In the paper, a kind of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resin/graphite (G) composite for bipolar plate was prepared by using the PPS resin as adhesive and simple hot pressing. The influences of the resin content, the molding temperature and holding time on the conductivity and the bending strength of the PPS/G composite bipolar plate were investigated firstly and then the optimum content and the preparing conditions of the composite were obtained. The experimental results show that the electrical conductivity decreases and the bending strength reveals a serrated variation with increase in PPS resin content; when the holding time is certain, the conductivity decreases and the bending strength increases with the molding temperature increasing. The experimental results further show that the effect of the holding time on the properties of the composite is different at different molding temperatures. The PPS/G composite with 20% PPS resin content has electrical conductivity of 118.9 S cm−1 and bending strength of 52.4 MPa when it molded at 380 °C for 30 min, and has electrical conductivity of 105 S cm−1, bending strength of 55.7 MPa when it molded at 390 °C for 30 min. The properties of the composites can meet the requirements of United States Department of Energy (DOE).