Effect of Copper Addition on Mechanical Properties and Electrical Conductivity of PP/C-Cu Bipolar Plate Composites

Authors

Anne Zulfia, Departemen Metalurgi dan Material, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, IndonesiaFollow
Taufik Abimanyu, Departemen Metalurgi dan Material, Fakultas Teknik, Universitas Indonesia, Depok 16424, Indonesia
Verina Warga Dalam, Puslitbangtek Ketenagalistrikan dan Energi Baru Terbarukan, Kementerian Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral, Jakarta Selatan 12230, Indonesia

Abstract

Effect of Copper Addition on Mechanical Properties and Electrical Conductivity of PP/C-Cu Bipolar Plate Composites. Bipolar plate is a major component in PEM fuel cell which possess main function of collecting and removing electrons from anode to cathode. Therefore, materials for bipolar plates produced must have high electrical conductivity. To obtain bipolar plate materials which is cheap, lightweight and high conductivity, so it is developed bipolar plates material based on PP/C-Cu composite. PP/C-Cu composites has been made by mixing all materials then compounding, rheomix, hot blending and hot press. Cu (Copper) has been used various from 0.1 wt%, 1 wt% to 2 wt% to increase electrical conductivity of PP/C-Cu composite. It is found that the effect of Cu addition in PP/C-Cu composite has increased tensile strength, flexural strength, flexural modulus, tensile modulus, elongation, electrical conductivity and decreasde porosity, unfortunately the value of electrical conductivity was still lower than standard requirement for bipolar plate fuel cell.

Bahasa Abstract

Pelat bipolar merupakan komponen utama dari polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell yang memiliki fungsi utama mengumpulkan dan memindahkan elektron dari anoda dan katoda. Oleh karena itu material untuk pelat bipolar harus memiliki konduktivitas listrik yang tinggi. Untuk mendapatkan pelat bipolar yang murah, ringan, dan memiliki konduktivitas listrik yang tinggi, maka dikembangkanlah pelat bipolar yang terbuat dari komposit PP/C-Cu. Proses pembuatan komposit PP/C-Cu ini menggunakan proses compounding, rheomix, hot blending, dan hot press. Pada penelitian ini dilakukan variasi komposisi tembaga yaitu 0,1 wt%, 1 wt%, dan 2 wt%. Dari hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa penambahan serbuk tembaga secara umum meningkatkan nilai densitas, kekuatan tarik, kekuatan tekuk, modulus tekuk, modulus tarik, elongasi, konduktivitas, dan mengurangi porositas, tetapi nilai konduktivitas listrik masih di bawah standar yang dipersyaratkan untuk bipolar plate fuel cell.

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Recommended Citation

Zulfia, Anne; Abimanyu, Taufik; and Dalam, Verina Warga (2011) "Effect of Copper Addition on Mechanical Properties and Electrical Conductivity of PP/C-Cu Bipolar Plate Composites," Makara Journal of Technology: Vol. 15: Iss. 2, Article 1.
DOI: 10.7454/mst.v15i2.925
Available at: https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/mjt/vol15/iss2/1