能源化学(英文版)

能源化学(英文) ›› 2018, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (5): 1369-1375.DOI: 10.1016/j.jechem.2018.04.010

• Preface • 上一篇    下一篇

Preparation and surface modification of PVDF-carbon felt composite bipolar plates for vanadium flow battery

Zhenhao Liu, Baoguo Wang, Lixin Yu   

  1. The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • 收稿日期:2018-01-26 修回日期:2018-03-20 出版日期:2018-09-15 发布日期:2018-09-15
  • 通讯作者: Baoguo Wang,E-mail address:bgwang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:

    The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21776154) and the National Basic Research Plan (2012AA051203).

Preparation and surface modification of PVDF-carbon felt composite bipolar plates for vanadium flow battery

Zhenhao Liu, Baoguo Wang, Lixin Yu   

  1. The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Department of Chemical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
  • Received:2018-01-26 Revised:2018-03-20 Online:2018-09-15 Published:2018-09-15
  • Contact: Baoguo Wang,E-mail address:bgwang@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn
  • Supported by:

    The authors gratefully acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21776154) and the National Basic Research Plan (2012AA051203).

摘要： The performance of vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) is closely related to the materials used in the bipolar plates. Carbon-based composite bipolar plates are particularly suitable for VFB applications. However, most original preparation methods cannot simultaneously achieve good electrical conductivity and mechanical performance. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to fabricating bipolar plates with carbon plastic materials, including four steps, namely coating a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution onto carbon felt, solvent evaporation, hot-pressing, and surface modification. The resulting bipolar plates showed high conductivity, good mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. Surface modification by coating with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) removed the PVDF-rich layer from the surface of the carbon fibers. The high surface area of the CNT withdrew PVDF resin from the carbon fiber surface, and promoted the formation of a conductive network. The flexibility and battery charge-discharge cycle measurements showed that the composite bipolar plates can meet requirements for VFB applications.

关键词: Bipolar plate, Surface modification, Carbon nanotubes, PVDF

Abstract: The performance of vanadium flow batteries (VFBs) is closely related to the materials used in the bipolar plates. Carbon-based composite bipolar plates are particularly suitable for VFB applications. However, most original preparation methods cannot simultaneously achieve good electrical conductivity and mechanical performance. In this paper, we propose a novel approach to fabricating bipolar plates with carbon plastic materials, including four steps, namely coating a poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) solution onto carbon felt, solvent evaporation, hot-pressing, and surface modification. The resulting bipolar plates showed high conductivity, good mechanical strength, and corrosion resistance. Surface modification by coating with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) removed the PVDF-rich layer from the surface of the carbon fibers. The high surface area of the CNT withdrew PVDF resin from the carbon fiber surface, and promoted the formation of a conductive network. The flexibility and battery charge-discharge cycle measurements showed that the composite bipolar plates can meet requirements for VFB applications.

Key words: Bipolar plate, Surface modification, Carbon nanotubes, PVDF