Nippon Steel Corporation

Youichi Ikematsu

Koki Tanaka

Michio Kaneko

Hiroshi Kihira

Wataru Hisada

Tamotsu Itoh

The present invention provides a method of production of a separator for a solid polymer type fuel cell characterized by shaping a substrate comprised of stainless steel, titanium, or a titanium alloy and then spraying the substrate surface with superhard core particles comprised of conductive compound particles of an average particle size of 0.01 to 20 &#x3bc;m mixed with a coating material and coated on their surfaces under conditions of a spray pressure of 0.4 MPa or less and a spray amount per cmof the substrate of 10 to 100 g in blast treatment. The ratio of the conductive compound to the mass of the core particles is 0.5 to 15 mass %.

Solid polymer type fuel cell separator and method of production of same

The present invention provides a separator for a solid polymer type fuel cell superior in low contact resistance of the fuel cell separator surface with carbon paper and flatness and a method of production of the same, that is, a separator for a solid polymer type fuel cell comprising a substrate of stainless steel or titanium or a titanium alloy having a surface layer part on which conductive compound particles are fixed, wherein said conductive compound particles are comprised of one or more types of metal borides, metal carbides, and metal nitrides with an average particle size of 0.01 to 20 &#x3bc;m, said conductive compound particles are present in a region from said substrate surface to a depth of 10 &#x3bc;m, and a distribution of concentration of the metal element forming the conductive compound in said region satisfies relations between a concentration C of the metal element forming the conductive compound and a depth x from the substrate surface shown by equation &#x3c;1&#x3e; (C=A&#xb7;exp(&#x2212;x/t)+B) and equation &#x3c;2&#x3e; (10&#x2266;A&#x2266;90, &#x2212;4.0&#x2266;B&#x2266;1.0, 0.5&#x2266;t&#x2266;4.0).

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Futtsu, Japan

Youichi Ikematsu