James P Fenton, Age 4750 Winthrop St, Simsbury, CT 06070

8097385, Jan 17, 2012

Jun 12, 2007

11/811762

H. Russell Kunz - Vernon CT, US
Leonard Bonville - Marlborough CT, US
Rachid Zaffou - East Hartford CT, US
Ruichun Jiang - Rochester NY, US
James Fenton - Cocoa FL, US

University of Connecticut - Farmington CT

H01M 2/16
H01M 2/22
H01M 4/80

429521, 429457, 429463, 429514

The present disclosure provides for a bipolar plate assembly for use in a fuel cell stack. The bipolar plate assembly includes: (a) at least one flow field layer defining a flow field portion and a perimeter portion; (b) at least one core assembly including at least one porous carbon layer and at least one impermeable layer; and (c) a cathode side reactant and an anode side reactant. The at least a first flow field layer is made from a porous carbon material and the perimeter portion is impregnated with a polymer material. The porous carbon layer is joined to: (i) the at least one impermeable layer on a first side by an adhesive material; and (ii) the flow field layer perimeter on a second side by a second adhesive material. The at least a first flow field layer defines reactant inlet and outlet ports and reactant flow passageways for each of the cathode side reactant and the anode side reactant. A method of making such a bipolar plate as described herein is also provided, as well as a method for rendering a layer of carbon material substantially impervious to a liquid agent such as an acid and rendering the porous carbon components wettable to retain an acidic liquid electrolyte.