development of customized versions of the ElectroPhen material. Each fuel cell design has differing plate requirements with respect to the balance of conductivity, hydrogen permeability, hydrophobicity and mechanical strength that is needed. The test lab will be used for in-cell testing of the material, enabling the best composite to be developed for each application.
'We believe that a responsible component supplier to an industry on the cusp of large-scale expansion should play its part in releasing components and component materials that have been tested in a genuine and properly recorded in-cell environment,' says Bac2's CEO, Mike Stannard. 'The test equipment investment not only means that we can do this, it means that we can do it quickly and accurately, something that will be of vital importance to companies entering the increasingly competitive fuel cell market.'
Recent independent tests on ElectroPhen by the University of Portsmouth have confirmed its technical suitability as a fuel cell material. And mechanical engineering students at the university recently completed a successful finalyear project to create an innovative air-breathing fuel cell using ElectroPhen plates, which were molded to their own design.
Bac2 is in the process of developing ElectroPhen commercially, and has patents pending in Europe, the US and Japan. The material is made from readily available, low-cost constituents, can be pressed or molded to complex shapes, and is robust enough for harsh environments.