Patent ID: 8865040

Claim:
A continuous, in-line roll-to-roll process for producing a fuel cell flow field plate or bipolar plate, said process comprising: (A) continuously feeding and unwinding a sheet of porous substrate from a roller toward a desired direction, said substrate having through-thickness pores; (B) mixing and feeding a conductive filler, a thermoset binder, a thermoplastic matrix material and a carrier fluid onto said porous substrate and directing said carrier fluid to substantially flow through said pores, leaving behind a layer of a solid mixture of said filler, binder and matrix material on said substrate, wherein said binder is in an amount of at least 0.1% but less than 5% by weight of the total weights of the conductive filler, thermoset binder, and thermoplastic matrix combined; (C) moving said substrate so as to allow said solid mixture layer to go through a compaction stage; (D) heating and consolidating said solid mixture layer and generating flow channels on a surface of said solid mixture layer to form said flow field or bipolar plate; and (E) rewinding the porous substrate onto a roller.