An improved approach toward manufacture of a sealed fuel cell stack configuration including electrostatic deposition of materials onto substrate surfaces of the fuel cell stack.
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1. A method for forming a fuel cell stack, comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets each having (i) a thickness of less than 0.2 mm, (ii) a first face, and (iii) an opposing second face;b) using an electromagnetic brush printing apparatus to electrostatical
1. A method for forming a fuel cell stack, comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets each having (i) a thickness of less than 0.2 mm, (ii) a first face, and (iii) an opposing second face;b) using an electromagnetic brush printing apparatus to electrostatically deliver a precursor layer having a uniform thickness of less than 0.3 mm onto a first face of the plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets, wherein the precursor layer has particles having an average diameter of at least 25 microns and less than 125 microns, and having a one component substantially solid precursor formulation including: i) a solid bisphenol A based epoxy in an amount greater than 80 percent by weight of the composition;ii) a solid epoxy carboxy-terminated butyl nitrile (epoxy-CTBN) adduct, having an epoxide equivalent weight of 1500 g/mole, the solid epoxy-CTBN being present in an amount of between 1:5 to 1:6 parts by weight relative to the solid bisphenol A based epoxy;iii) a dicyanamide curing agent in are amount of e than 4 percent by weight of the composition; andiv) at least one pigment in an amount of less than 2.5% by weight of the precursor layer;(c) physically transforming the particles of the precursor layer to form a precursor layer film that is tack-free while on a respective die-cut stainless steel sheet to which it has been delivered and thereby forming at least a temporary adhesive bond between the precursor layer and the die-cut stainless steel sheet;(d) heating each precursor layer film to a temperature above a cross-linking activation temperature for cross-linking the solid bisphenol A based epoxy and the solid epoxy-CTBN adduct to define a cross-linked reaction product material layer;(e) forming a stack of at least 200 of the die-cut stainless steel sheets having the cross-linked reaction product material layer thereon by stacking consecutive sheets so that respective first faces of the sheets oppose respective second faces of the sheets with a respective cross-linked reaction product material layer therebetween, and thereby defining an outermost cross-linked reaction product material layer;(f) sandwiching a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, each including an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode, between the plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets;(g) bonding the consecutive sheets to each other while maintaining a gap between a portion of each adjoining substrate; and(h) applying a die-cut stainless steel cover sheet over the outer most cross-linked reaction product material layer thereby defining a fuel cell stack. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles occurs prior to stacking adjoining sheets upon each other. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of heating each precursor layer film occurs prior to the step of stacking. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of heating each precursor layer film occurs substantially simultaneously after the step of stacking. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes a step of heating the particles to a temperature of at least 80° C. less than the temperature for the step of heating each precursor layer film. 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes a step of heating the particles to a temperature of at least 80° C. less than the temperature for the step of heating each precursor layer film. 7. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes a step of heating the particles to a temperature of at least 80° C. less than the temperature for the step of heating each precursor layer film. 8. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes a step of heating the particles to a temperature of at least 80° C. less than the temperature for the step of heating each precursor layer film. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes heating the particles to a temperature at which the precursor composition softens and flows as a thermoplastic material, but below which it will cross-link for forming a thermoset material. 10. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes heating the particles to a temperature at which the precursor composition softens and flows as a thermoplastic material, but below which it will cross-link for forming a thermoset material. 11. The method of claim 3, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes heating the particles to a temperature at which the precursor composition softens and flows as a thermoplastic material, but below which it will cross-link for forming a thermoset material. 12. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes heating the particles to a temperature at which the precursor composition softens and flows as a thermoplastic material, but below which it will cross-link for forming a thermoset material. 13. The method of claim 5, wherein the step of physically transforming the particles includes heating the particles to a temperature at which the precursor composition softens and flows as a thermoplastic material, but below which it will cross-link for forming a thermoset material. 14. A fuel cell comprising a fuel cell stack prepared using the method of claim 1. 15. A fuel cell comprising a fuel cell stack prepared using the method of claim 13. 16. A fuel cell stack, comprising: a) a plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets each having (i) a thickness of less than 0.2 mm, (ii) a first face, and (iii) an opposing second face;b) a layer disposed between one or more consecutive sheets of a cured cross-linked reaction product of a one component formulation comprising: i) a solid bisphenol A based epoxy in an amount greater than 80 percent by weight of the composition;ii) a solid epoxy carboxy-terminated butyl nitrile (epoxy-CTBN) adduct, having an epoxide equivalent weight of 1500 g/mole, the solid epoxy-CTBN being present in an amount of between 1:5 to 1:6 parts by weight relative to the solid bisphenol A based epoxy;iii) a dicyanamide curing agent n an amount of less than 4 percent by weight of the composition; andiv) at least one pigment in an amount of less than 2.5% by weight of the precursor layer; and(c) a plurality of membrane electrode assemblies, each including an anode, a cathode, and a membrane between the anode and the cathode, wherein at least one of the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies is sandwiched between the one or more consecutive sheets;wherein the layer disposed between the one or more consecutive sheets is of sufficient thickness and is located so as to define a gap into which a fluidic material can be introduced and distributed to or from the plurality of membrane electrode assemblies of a fuel cell. 17. A method for forming a subassembly of a fuel cell stack, comprising the steps of: a) providing a plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets each having (i) a thickness of less than 0.2 mm, (ii) a first face, and (iii) an opposing second face;b) using an electromagnetic brush printing apparatus to electrostatically deliver a precursor layer having a uniform thickness of less than 0.3 mm onto the first face and the opposing second face of the plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets, wherein the precursor layer has particles having an average diameter of at least 25 microns and less than 125 microns, and having a one component substantially solid precursor formulation including: i) a solid bisphenol A based epoxy in an amount greater than 80 percent by weight of the composition;ii) a solid epoxy carboxy-terminated butyl nitrile (epoxy-CTBN) adduct, having an epoxide equivalent weight of 1500 g/mole, the solid epoxy-CTBN being present in an amount of between 1:5 to 1:6 parts by weight relative to the solid bisphenol A based epoxy;iii) a dicyanamide curing agent in an amount of less than 4 percent by weight of the composition; andiv) at least one pigment in the precursor layer;(c) physically transforming the particles of the precursor layer to form a precursor layer film that is tack-free while on a respective die-cut stainless steel sheet to which it has been delivered and thereby forming at least a temporary adhesive bond between the precursor layer and the die-cut stainless steel sheet;(d) heating each precursor layer film to a temperature above a cross-linking activation temperature for cross-linking the solid bisphenol A based epoxy and the solid epoxy-CTBN adduct to define a cross-linked reaction product material layer;(e) forming a stack of at least 200 of the die-cut stainless steel sheets having the cross-linked reaction product material layer thereon by stacking consecutive sheets so that respective first faces of the sheets oppose respective second faces of the sheets with respective cross-linked reaction product material layers therebetween, and thereby defining an outermost cross-linked reaction product material layer;(f) bonding the consecutive sheets to each other while maintaining a gap between a portion of each adjoining substrate; and(g) applying a die-cut stainless steel cover sheet over the outermost cross-linked reaction product material layer thereby defining a subassembly of a fuel cell stack. 18. A subassembly of a fuel cell stack, comprising: a) a plurality of die-cut stainless steel sheets each having (i) a thickness of less than 0.2 mm, (ii) a first face, and (iii) an opposing second face; andb) a layer disposed between one or more consecutive sheets of a cured cross-linked reaction product of a one component formulation comprising: i) a solid bisphenol A based epoxy in an amount greater than E percent by weight of the composition;ii) a solid epoxy carboxy-terminated butyl nitrile (epoxy-CTBN) adduct, having an epoxide equivalent weight of 1500 g/mole, the solid epoxy-CTBN being present in an amount of between 1:5 to 1:6 parts by weight relative to the solid bisphenol A based epoxy;iii) a dicyanamide curing agent in an amount of less than 4 percent by weight of the composition; andiv) at least one pigment in the precursor layer;wherein the layer disposed between the one or more consecutive sheets is of sufficient thickness and is located so as to define a duct into which a fluidic material can be introduced and distributed to or from one or more membrane electrodes of a fuel cell.
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