2026-10-13T14:50:37Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34037293 2026-10-01T00:08:30Z category_1 category_915 category_12 category_19 category_21 category_272 category_873 category_734 category_128 portal_63 item_type_6 month_year_10_2026

Dual-Network Synergistic Reinforcement toward Lightweight and High-Strength Flexible Graphite Bipolar Plates for Robust and Efficient Fuel Cells Xiaoyu Mao (10686135) Xiufeng Hu (9609113) Daijun Yang (8383515) Wei Yu (43094) Terence Xiaoteng Liu (14793619) Yifan Li (327507) Biophysics Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified Cell Biology Pharmacology Biotechnology Environmental Sciences not elsewhere classified Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified Hematology sustained load conditions reduced system cost novel expanded graphite flowing resin bridges enabling simultaneous enhancements conductive graphite network withstanding mechanical stresses stable mechanical properties low surface roughness efficient fuel cells plane electrical conductivity improved power density high flexural strength high conductivity addresses plane conductivity mechanical strength low density electrical conductivity fuel cells mechanical carbon ∼ 0 two networks tunable hydrophobicity pivotal role minimal thickness important components hydrogen energy fiber skeleton designed based critical need creep resistance corrosion resistance composite achieves comparison confirmed carbon fiber bipolar plates 64 g 6 mm 3 mpa The advancement of fuel cell technology plays a pivotal role in the development of hydrogen energy. Bipolar plates are important components of fuel cells. Developing flexural bipolar plates with stable mechanical properties and high conductivity addresses the critical need for improved power density and reduced system cost in fuel cells. In this study, we introduce a novel expanded graphite-carbon fiber/resin composite bipolar plate fabricated via hot-press molding. The plate is designed based on a dual-network synergistic reinforcement strategy, comprising a conductive graphite network and a mechanical carbon-fiber skeleton. During molding, the flowing resin bridges these two networks, enabling simultaneous enhancements in electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. This composite achieves a low density of 1.64 g/cm³, while exhibiting a high in-plane electrical conductivity of 393.70 S/cm, an effective through-plane conductivity of 7.538 S/cm, and a high flexural strength of 520.3 MPa at a minimal thickness of ∼0.6 mm. Furthermore, it fulfills critical operational requirements such as creep resistance, corrosion resistance, low surface roughness, and tunable hydrophobicity. To evaluate its practical energy utilization efficiency, we compared the power of various composite bipolar plates under sustained load conditions. This comparison confirmed the robustness of the prepared composite bipolar plates in withstanding mechanical stresses, revealing their potential in practical fuel cell applications. 2026-09-30T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.1021/acs.iecr.6c01405.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Dual-Network_Synergistic_Reinforcement_toward_Lightweight_and_High-Strength_Flexible_Graphite_Bipolar_Plates_for_Robust_and_Efficient_Fuel_Cells/34037293 CC BY-NC 4.0