The bipolar plate is the most important and most costly component of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. The development of a suitable low density bipolar plate is scientif-cally and technically challenging due to the need to maintain high electrical conductivity and mechanical properties. Here, bipolar plates were developed from different particle sizes of natural and expanded graphite with phenolic resin as a polymeric matrix. It was observed that the particle size of the reinforcement significantlyinfluencesthe mechanical and electri-cal properties of a composite bipolar plate. The composite bipolar plate based on expanded graphite gives the desired mechanical and electrical properties as per the US Department of Energy target, with a bulk density of 1.55 g.cm-3 as compared to that of ~1.87 g.cm-3 for a composite plate based on natural graphite (NG). Although the bulk density of the expanded-graphite-based composite plate is ~20% less than that of the NG-based plate, the I-V perfor-mance of the expanded graphite plate is superior to that of the NG plate as a consequence of the higher conductivity. The expanded graphite plate can thus be used as an electromagnetic interference shielding material.

Bending and tensile properties of 2D cross-ply C/C composites with processing heat treatment temperature (HTT) are evaluated. C/C composites used are made from two types of PAN based T700 and M40 carbon fibers with phenolic resin as carbon matrix precursor. Both the types of composites are heat treated at different temperatures (ranging from 750 to 2800℃) and characterized for bending and tensile properties. It is observed that, real density and open porosity increases with HTT, however, bulk density does show remarkable change. The real density and open porosity are higher in case T-700 carbon fiber composites at 2800℃, even though the density of M40 carbon fiber is higher. Bending strength is considerably greater than tensile strength through out the processing HTT due to the different mode of fracture. The bending and tensile strength decreases in both composites on 1000℃ which attributed to decrease in bulk density, thereafter with increase in HTT, bending and tensile strength increases. The maximum strength is in T700 fiber based composites at HTT 1500℃ and in M40 fiber based composites at HTT 2500℃. After attending the maximum value of strength in both types of composite at deflection HTT, after that strength decreases continuously. Decrease in strength is due to the degradation of fiber properties and in-situ fiber damages in the composite. The maximum carbon fiber strength realization in C/C composites is possible at a temperature that is same of fiber HTT. It has been found first time that the bending strength more or less 1.55 times higher in T700 fiber composites and in M40 fiber composites bending strength is 1.2 times higher than that of tensile strength of C/C composites.

The polymer-ceramic hybrid, known as 'ceramer', was synthesized by a sol-gel process by incorporating different amount of alkoxide as source of silicon in resorcinol-formaldehyde in presence of basic catalyst to get different percentage of silicon in ultimate carbonized composites. FTIR of the ceramer confirms that it is a network of Si-O-Si, Si-O-CH2 and Si-OH type groups linked with benzene ring. Different amount of silicon in the ceramer exhibits varying temperature of thermal stability and lower coefficient of thermal expansion as compared to pure resorcinol-formaldehyde resin. The lower value of CTE in ceramer is due to existence of silica and resorcinol -formaldehyde in co-continuous phase. Unidirectional composites prepared with ceramer matrix and high-strength carbon fibers show lower value of flexural strength at polymer stage as compared to those prepared with resorcinol-formaldehyde resin. However, after heat treatment to 1450℃, the ceramer matrix composites show large improvement in the mechanical properties, i.e. with 7% silicon in the ceramer, the flexural strength is enhanced by 100% and flexural modulus value by 40% as compared to that of pure resorcinol-formaldehyde resin matrix composites.

Effect of silicon infiltration on the bend and tensile strength of 2D cross-ply carbon-carbon composites are studied. It is observed that bend strength higher than tensile strength in both types of composite is due to the different mode of fracture and loading direction. After silicon infiltrations bend and tensile strength suddenly decreases of carbon-carbon composites. This is due to the fact that, after silicon infiltration, silicon in the immediate vicinity of carbon forms the strong bond between carbon and silicon by formation silicon carbide and un-reacted silicon as free silicon. Therefore, these composites consist of three components carbon, silicon carbide and silicon. Due to mismatch between these three components secondary cracks developed and these cracks propagate from 90˚ oriented plies to 0˚ oriented plies by damaging the fibers (i.e., in-situ fiber damages). Hence, secondary cracks and in-situ fiber damages are responsible for degradation of mechanical properties of carbon-carbon composites after silicon infiltration which is revealed by microstructure investigation study by scanning electron microscope.

Performance of carbon-carbon composites is known to be influenced by the fibre matrix interactions. The present investigation was undertaken to ascertain the development of microstructure in such composites when carbon fibres possessing different surface energies (T-300, HM-35, P120 and Dialed 1370) and pitch matrices with different characteristics (Coal tar pitch SP110℃ and mesophase pitch SP285℃) are used as precursor materials. These composites were subjected to two different heat treatment temperatures of 1000℃ and 2600℃. Quite interesting changes in the crystalline parameters as well as the matrix microstructure are observed and attempt has been made to correlate these observations with the fibre matrix interactions.

Microstructure plays an important role in controlling the fracture behaviour of carbon-carbon composites and hence their mechanical properties. In the present study effort was made to understand how the different interfaces (fiber/matrix interactions) influence the development of microstructure of the matrix as well as that of carbon fibers as the heat treatment temperature of the carbon-carbon composites is raised. Three different grades of PAN based carbon fibres were selected to offer different surface characteristics. It is observed that in case of high-strength carbon fiber based carbon-carbon composites, not only the matrix microstructure is different but the texture of carbon fiber changes from isotropic to anisotropic after HTT to 2600℃. However, in case of intermediate and high modulus carbon fiber based carbon-carbon composites, the carbon fiber texture remains nearly isotropic at 2600℃ because of relatively weak fiber-matrix interactions.

Unidirectional polymer composites were prepared using high-strength carbon fibers as reinforcement and phenolic resin as matrix precursor with keeping fiber volume fraction at 30, 40, 50 and 60% respectively. These composites were carbonized at 1000℃ and graphitised at 2600℃ in the inert atmosphere. The carbonized and graphitised composites were characterized for mechanical properties as well as microstructure. Microscopic studies were carried out of the polished surface of carbonized and graphitised composites after etching by chromic acid, to understand the effect of fiber volume fraction on oxidation at fiber-matrix interface. It is found that the flexural strength in polymer composites increases with fiber volume fraction and so does for the carbonised composites. However, the trend was found to be reversed in graphitised composites. In all the carbonized composites anisotropic region has been observed at fiber-matrix interface which transforms into columnar type microstructure upon graphitisation. The extension of strong and weak columnar type microstructure is function of fiber volume fraction. SEM microscopy of the etched surface of the sample reveal that composites containing 40% fiber volume has minimum oxidation at the interface, revealing a strong interfacial bonding.