Patent ID: 8105721
Filing Date: 2012-01-31
Classification: H01M,Y02E,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A method of manufacturing a fuel cell comprising: contacting a separator plate with a gas diffusion media to form a covered reactant gas flow field; the separator plate including a plurality of lands that define a plurality of channels having a surface; and the gas diffusion media including a first surface region that contacts the plurality of lands of the separator plate and a second surface region complementary to the plurality of channels of the separator plate; wherein at least a portion of the surface of the plurality of channels of the separator plate is coated with a hydrophilic polymer that is microtextured by a process comprising: focusing laser pulses to selectively ablate surface material thereby producing microtexturing comprising multilevel roughness including projections and depressions about 0.1 micrometers to about 10 micrometers in each of height, length, and width; and wherein the surface material comprises the surface of the plurality of channels of the separator plate.