POLYMER ELECTROLYTIC FUEL CELL

摘要

A polymer electrolyte fuel cell comprises a hydrogen-ion-conductive polymer electrolyte membrane, a pair of electrodes sandwiching the membrane, a conductive separator plate having a gas passage for supplying a fuel to one of the electrodes, and a conductive separator plate having a gas passage for supplying an oxidant to the other electrode. Conventionally, a conductive separator plate is made of a carbonaceous material, and therefore the costs such as the fabrication cost are difficult to reduce, and a metallic plate is used on trial instead of a carbonaceous plate. However the metallic plate is exposed to a hot oxidizing atmosphere, and as a result the metallic plate is corroded after a long use, lowering the power generation efficiency gradually. According to the invention, the metallic conductive separator plate is a type in which a conductive coat comprising conductive particles and glass is formed on a surface having a gas passage. Thus, the corrosion of the metallic plate is suppressed and the degradation of the power generation efficiency after long use is also suppressed.