US 12,272,845 B2
Method of coating one or more metal components of a fuel cell stack, component of a fuel cell stack and apparatus for coating one or more components of a fuel cell stack
Ruud Jacobs, Venlo (NL); Kenji Fuchigami, Düsseldorf (DE); Roel Bosch, Geldrop (NL); Dave Doerwald, Nijmegen (NL); and Philipp Immich, Issum (DE)
Assigned to IHI HAUZER TECHNO COATING B.V., Venlo (NL)
Appl. No. 17/628,783
Filed by IHI HAUZER TECHNO COATING B.V., Venlo (NL)
PCT Filed Aug. 10, 2020, PCT No. PCT/EP2020/072423
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 20, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/028399, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 18, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19191663 (EP), filed on Aug. 14, 2019; and application No. 19201781 (EP), filed on Oct. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0384820 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H01M 8/0228 (2016.01); C23C 14/02 (2006.01); C23C 14/06 (2006.01); C23C 14/32 (2006.01); H01M 4/86 (2006.01); H01M 4/88 (2006.01); H01M 4/90 (2006.01); H01M 8/0206 (2016.01); H01M 8/0213 (2016.01); H01M 8/0282 (2016.01); H01M 8/0286 (2016.01)
CPC H01M 8/0228 (2013.01) [C23C 14/021 (2013.01); C23C 14/025 (2013.01); C23C 14/0605 (2013.01); C23C 14/325 (2013.01); H01M 4/8657 (2013.01); H01M 4/8663 (2013.01); H01M 4/8892 (2013.01); H01M 4/9041 (2013.01); H01M 8/0206 (2013.01); H01M 8/0213 (2013.01); H01M 8/0282 (2013.01); H01M 8/0286 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of coating one or more components of a fuel cell stack, the method comprising the steps of:
providing an uncoated metal component;
etching said uncoated metal component;
optionally depositing an adhesion layer on the etched uncoated metal component by means of one of a physical vapor deposition process, an arc physical vapor deposition process, an arc ion plating process, a sputtering process, and a Hipims process; and
depositing a carbon coating on the adhesion layer if provided or directly on said etched uncoated metal component,
wherein the carbon coating is deposited with a layer thickness selected in the range of 5 to 500 nm at a bias voltage of −0 to −200V
wherein the carbon coating comprises an at least substantially hydrogen free DLC layer, deposited by one of an arc physical vapor deposition process, an arc ion plated process, and a Hipims process, wherein the adhesion layer comprises a layer of one or more materials comprising the adhesion layer and one or more gradient layers comprising:
a first gradient layer of metal mixed with said one or more materials of the adhesion layer with the amount of metal decreasing over a height of the first gradient layer and an amount of the one or more materials of the adhesion layer increasing over the height of the first gradient layer, up to the layer comprising said one or more one or more materials of the adhesion layer.