Conductive Polymer Composites And Coated Metals As Alternative Bipolar Plate Materials For All-vanadium Redox-flow Batteries

In this study polypropylene (PP) based conductive composites and metal doped diamond like carbon (DLC) coated metallic substrates are studied as alternative bipolar materials for all-vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB). Graphite and carbon nanotube (CNT) filled PP based bipolar plates were produced via twin-screw co-rotating extruder and injection molding. Addition of 3 wt. % CNTs into highly filled graphite-PP matrix increased in-plane and through-plane electrical conductivities from 10 S/cm to 50 S/cm and from 2 S/cm to 10 S/cm respectively. PP composites with 78 wt. % graphite and 2 wt. % CNT filling ratio showed flexural strength value of 48,01 MPa. Produced bipolar plates were examined with galvanostatic charge-discharge test in a single-cell VRFB. Energy efficiency of 85,43 % at 25 mA/cm2 and discharge power density of 78,48 mW/cm 2 at 75 mA/cm 2 were achieved and those values were found to be comparable with commercial bipolar plates. Titanium, vanadium, chromoium and tungsten do