Current status and research progress of bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Bipolar plates have an important influence on the performance of Proton Exchange Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC). They are the medium to ensure that the reaction medium enters the cell, and the bipolar plate determines the weight of the fuel cell stack to a large extent. Because the weight is directly related to the material cost, the bipolar plate plays a decisive role in the manufacturing cost of fuel cells. In the current fuel cell products, the quality of bipolar plate can be as high as 70%, and accounts for 30% of the cost of the cell. The enhanced composite bipolar plate has unique electrical and mechanical properties. If the technical problems such as agglomeration and compatibility are solved, the performance of bipolar plate can be significantly improved. This review focuses on the current status and research progress on the electrical, mechanical properties of bipolar plates.