The first prototype fuel cell manufactured entirely from engineering thermoplastics, claimed to offer cost savings of at least 50% over metals and thermosets, has been developed by Ticona (D-65451 Kelsterbach; www.ticona.com), the technical polymers business of the Celanese group. The cost per kilowatt (kWh) for the proton exchange membrane cell is pegged at around EUR 790, which the company says is a significant step towards meeting the European Union´s target of EUR 500/kWh by 2010 for 2kWh residential units. Current costs range up to EUR 3,000/kWh.

The 17-cell unit employs injection moulded bipolar plates made of Ticona´s “Vectra” liquid crystal polymer (LCP) and end plates of its “Fortron” polyphenylene sulphide. The thermoplastic materials moulded by Germany´s Ensinger (D-71154 Nufrigen; www.ensinger-online.com), replace gold-plated stainless steel, aluminium or thermoset-graphite blends. The periphery of the fuel cell also can be made of thermoplastics, for the most part POM, says Ticona, which is a leading manufacturer of this polymer.

The fuel cell´s LCP plates contain 85% powdered carbon and are injection moulded in a cycle time of only 30 seconds, reducing the high labour and machining costs associated with forming the plates´ intricate channels using other materials. The cells are being developed for automotive, home and mobile equipment applications.