Synthesis Of Diamond-Like Carbon By Pecvd On Different Substrates For Fuel Cell Applications

Lower cost, lighter weight, and higher electrical conductivity are among many advantages of using metallic bipolar plates (BPs) over the conventional graphitic materials in PEM fuel cell applications. In this study, diamond-like carbon (DLC) coatings are deposited on top surfaces of stainless steel (SS316) and Aluminum (Al5052) substrates via Plasma Enhanced Carbon Vapor Deposition (PECVD) in order to increase the durability. Further, the effect of different plasma power intensities and type of precursor gases, including methane (CH4) and acetylene (C2H2), on the growth of DLC films is studied. Various ex-situ characterization techniques have been used to examine the strength of adhesion, morphologies, structures/compositions, and wettability of the DLC coatings. It is found that coatings produced from CH4 gas show superior adhesion in comparison to those obtained from the C2H2 gas. Results indicate that higher deposition power intensity can produce more sp3 bonds than sp2 bonds. It is also determined that the type of the metallic substrates has predominant roles on the morphology of the DLC coatings. In addition, a moderate power intensity of 250 W results in desirable properties in DLC, including adhesion and wettability, compared to higher and lower plasma power intensities.