Electrically conductive composites made with TPE and graphite

It has been requited to replace a thermosetting polymer used for the separator in a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with a thermoplastic elastomer from the point of view of cost and size down. The separator used in the PEMFC is requited to have low resistivity, low hydrogen permeability and resistance to acid liquids. This paper addresses resistivity, results obtained by the Hall measurement, mechanical strength and hydrogen permeability of the composites made with a thermoplastic elastomer and graphite. It was found that the composites made with the thermoplastic elastomer and a graphite show a resistivity less than 20 mΩ and low hydrogen permeability, which means that the composite is one of a promising candidate for the separator of PEMFC.