New graphite/polybenzoxazine composites for fuel cells bipolar plates

The project consists of a collaboration between the French institution Polymers, Biopolymers, Surfaces (PBS) Laboratory of the University of Rouen in Normandie, and the Nanomaterials group at the Department of Surface and Plasma Science of Charles University in the Czech Republic. The experience of the principal investigator in the polymer composites preparation and the knowledge in the chemical synthesis of polymers of the PBS team will create a fruitful international collaboration in the obtention of new composite materials for fuel cell bipolar plates.

Goals of the project: The objectives of the project will be the own-synthesis of graphite/polybenzoxazine composites for fuel cell bipolar plates. The thermal and mechanical properties will be controlled by the synthesis of polymers based on bis(benzoxazine)-containing compound as well as polybenzoxazine prepolymers with different lengths of the alkyl segments. The level of electrical conductivity of the composites will be optimized by different amounts of synthetic and/or natural graphite with different grain sizes as well as graphite mixture in order to ensure the percolation threshold. The BPs based on graphite/polybenzoxazine composites will be prepared and tested in-operando in fuel cells stations.