Interfacial contact resistance tests
The Davies method [8] was used to measure the interfacial
contact resistance (ICR). The coated aluminum bipolar plate and
carbon papers (Toray TFP-H-060), which are used as the gas
diffusion layer (GDL) in the PEM fuel cells, were mounted between
two copper plates. The resistance of the circuit was measured while
a specific current was induced. The ICR was calculated using the
technique described in Ref. [9]. In the case of the composite coated
metal bipolar plate, the calculated ICR value contained the contact
resistance between the top of the surface of a sample and GDL as
well as the contact resistance between the surface of a metal and
the bottom of a coating layer. In order to evaluate the effect of
carbon paper and carbon black particles on the contact resistance,
the ICR of each sample was measured as a function of the compacting
pressure.