Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fuel cell which includes layering and compression molding at least one of each of: thermoplastic resin sheets (A) containing 130 to 3,200 parts by weight of a carbonaceous material per 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin; and thermoplastic resin sheets (B) containing 3 to 280 parts by weight of a carbonaceous material per 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin, 50% to 100% by weight of the carbonaceous material being fibrous carbon. The thermoplastic resin sheets (A and B) are compression molded at a temperature 60° C. higher than the higher of the melting points of the two types of sheets such that the ratio between the final thickness (dA) of the compressed first thermoplastic resin sheet(s) (A) and the final thickness (dB) of the compressed second thermoplastic resin sheet(s) (B) satisfies the relation dA/dB?2.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a fuel cell separator which can achieve a stable power generation over a prolonged period of time and a method of producing the fuel cell separator. The fuel cell separator has a recess for gas flow path whose surface is roughened in such a manner that the arithmetic mean roughness Ra is 0.5 to 10 ?m, and the recess for gas flow path is brought into contact with a fluorine-containing gas or a gas containing both fluorine and oxygen. The thus obtained fuel cell separator can retain a uniform liquid film formed on the surface thereof for at least 10 seconds when a test piece prepared from the fuel cell separator is immersed in water for 30 seconds and pulled out therefrom to a position at not less than 1 cm from the water surface within 1 second.

Abstract: Provided are a heat-curable resin composition that yields a molded article having excellent dimensional accuracy and mechanical property even when high-temperature molding is carried out, a production method of article and a molded article thereof, a cured article, a molded article, and a separator for a fuel cell. A heat-curable resin composition in an embodiment of the present invention comprises: (A) a binder in an amount of 100 parts by mass comprising 50 mass % or more of a polymer comprising 60 mol % or more monomer units having a carbon-carbon double bond in a side chain; (B) a carbon material in an amount of 150 to 1,000 parts by mass; (C) a curing initiator in an amount of 1 to 10 parts by mass; and (D) a curing retarder in an amount of 0.1 to 2 parts by mass.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fuel cell which includes layering and compression molding at least one of each of: thermoplastic resin sheets (A) containing 130 to 3,200 parts by weight of a carbonaceous material per 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin; and thermoplastic resin sheets (B) containing 3 to 280 parts by weight of a carbonaceous material per 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin, 50% to 100% by weight of the carbonaceous material being fibrous carbon. The thermoplastic resin sheets (A and B) are compression molded at a temperature 60° C. higher than the higher of the melting points of the two types of sheets such that the ratio between the final thickness (dA) of the compressed first thermoplastic resin sheet(s) (A) and the final thickness (dB) of the compressed second thermoplastic resin sheet(s) (B) satisfies the relation dA/dB?2.

Abstract: A lightweight, compact high-performance fuel cell separator is provided with enhanced output density and capable of being stacked without a gas seal member. Embodiments include a separator having a corrugated electrically conducting flow path. A recess and projection are formed on front and rear surfaces, each constituting a gas flow path alternately arrayed abreast in a plane.

Abstract: A high-performance separator for a fuel cell is provided that includes an electrically conducting flow path part and an integrated insulating outer circumferential part surrounding the flow path part. The flow path part includes an electrically conducting resin composition including a carbonaceous material (A) and a thermoplastic resin composition (B) at a mass ratio (A)/(B) of 1 to 20 with the total mass of (A) and (B) accounting for 80 to 100 mass % in the composition. The flow path part has a corrugated shape having a recess and a projection on each of front and back surfaces thereof, where the recess constitutes a groove for a flow path, and a thickness of 0.05 to 0.5 mm and a maximum thickness/minimum thickness ratio of 1 to 3. The insulating outer circumferential part includes an insulating thermoplastic resin composition having a volume resistivity of 1010 ?cm or more.

Abstract: Provided is a fuel cell separator which can achieve a stable power generation over a prolonged period of time and a method of producing the fuel cell separator. The fuel cell separator has a recess for gas flow path whose surface is roughened in such a manner that the arithmetic mean roughness Ra is 0.5 to 10 ?m, and the recess for gas flow path is brought into contact with a fluorine-containing gas or a gas containing both fluorine and oxygen. Whereby a hydrophilic surface most suitable for prevention of flooding is formed and a fuel cell separator which can achieve a stable power generation over a prolonged period of time can be obtained. The thus obtained fuel cell separator can retain a uniform liquid film formed on the surface thereof for at least 10 seconds when a test piece prepared from the fuel cell separator is immersed in water for 30 seconds and pulled out therefrom to a position at not less than 1 cm from the water surface within 1 second.

Abstract: An electroconductive resin composition, comprising at least: a multi-component polymer-type resin binder (A) comprising a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, and having a number-average particle size of dispersed phase of 0.001-2 ?m, and an electroconductive material (B) in the form of powder and/or fiber. The electroconductive resin composition may preferably be used for a fuel cell separator.

Abstract: A high-performance separator for a fuel cell and a high-performance cell unit (single cell unit or short stack unit) for a fuel cell, each ensuring lightweight and compact fabrication necessary to enhance output density, enabling stacking without use of a gas seal member and making the insulating treatment of the outer circumference of the stack not necessary, and production methods thereof are provided. By a processing method of forming a thermoplastic resin composition highly filled with a carbonaceous material into a thin sheet form, heating the sheet to a melted state, and cold-shaping the melt at a high speed, a lightweight, compact and high-performance thin fuel cell separator having a corrugated flow path may be provided.

Abstract: A high-performance fuel cell separator ensuring lightweight and compact fabrication necessary to enhance output density and enabling stacking without use of a gas seal member, and a production method thereof, are provided. By a processing method of forming a thermoplastic resin composition highly filled with a carbonaceous material into a thin sheet form, heating the sheet to a melted state, and cold-shaping the melt at a high speed, a thin separator having a corrugated flow path can be molded at a high speed, and a lightweight, compact and high-performance separator for a fuel cell can be provided. Also, by forming the sheet in a multilayer structure and heat-welding it, the contact resistance with the gas diffusing electrode can be reduced, and a compact integrated fuel cell separator requiring no gasket can be provided.

Abstract: A fuel cell separator having a surface layer on one side or both sides thereof. The surface layer includes at least two layers, wherein the surface layer includes a low-elastic modulus layer (1) having a bending elastic modulus of 1.0×10<sp>1</sp>-6.0×10<sp>3</sp> MPa, and a bending strain of 1% or more; and a high-elastic modulus layer (2) having a bending elastic modulus exceeding 6.0×10<sp>3</sp> MPa, as at least one layer constituting the surface layer, other than the low-elastic modulus layer (1).

Abstract: A fuel cell separator having a surface layer on one side or both sides thereof. The surface layer includes at least two layers, wherein the surface layer includes a low-elastic modulus layer (1) having a bending elastic modulus of 1.0×10<sp>1</sp>-6.0×10<sp>3</sp> MPa, and a bending strain of 1% or more; and a high-elastic modulus layer (2) having a bending elastic modulus exceeding 6.0×10<sp>3</sp> MPa, as at least one layer constituting the surface layer, other than the low-elastic modulus layer (1).

Abstract: An electroconductive resin composition, comprising at least: a multi-component polymer-type resin binder (A) comprising a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, and having a number-average particle size of dispersed phase of 0.001-2 ?m, and an electroconductive material (B) in the form of powder and/or fiber. The electroconductive resin composition may preferably be used for a fuel cell separator.

Abstract: A thermoplastic resin composition having good coating affinity is disclosed, which comprises (a) from 20 to 80 parts by weight of a resin component containing a modified polyolefin resin which has been graft-modified with an unsaturated hydroxy group-containing compound or an unsaturated carboxylic acid, (b) from 80 to 20 pats by weight of a rubber component containing a copolymer rubber, and (c) a functional group-terminated oligomer in an amount of from 0.1 to 20 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the sum of components (a) and (b).

Abstract: A thermoplastic elastomer with well-balanced physical properties is prepared by treating a rubber/resin composition comprised of (a) 45-90 wt. parts of a rubbery component and (b) 10-55 wt. parts of a polyolefin resin, with a curing agent. The rubbery component (a) is comprised of 5-100 wt. % of an ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber having an ethylene content of 60-78 mole %, a crystallinity of 4 to 20%, a maximum peak temperature of melting of at least 100.degree. C., an MFI of less than 0.01 at 230.degree. C., an HLMFI/MFI of at least 35, an Mw/Mn of at least 4, and a tensile strength at break of at least 100 kg/cm.sup.2, and 95-0% by weight of an ethylene-propylene-nonconjugated diene copolymer. The rubbery component in the cured product has a gel content more than 80 wt. % and less than 97 wt. % as determined by immersion in cyclohexane at 23.degree. C. for 48 hours.

Abstract: A process for producing a thermoplastic elastomer in the presence of a Ziegler catalyst which comprises a first step of forming polypropylene and then a second step of forming an ethylene/propylene random copolymer, characterized in that(a) the catalyst is used such that the total amount of the polymer formed is at least 50 kg per gram of titanium metal in the catalyst,(b) a hydrocarbon having 3 or 4 carbon atoms is used as a slurry polymerization solvent,(c) the solvent phase of the slurry is evaporated and separated without bringing the resulting polymer into contact with alcohols and/or hydrocarbons having at least 5 carbon atoms,(d) the polymerization temperature in the second step is adjusted to not more than 50.degree. C.