A titanium material including a base metal made of pure titanium or a titanium alloy and a titanium oxide film formed on the base metal. Peak intensities obtained by thin-film X-ray diffraction analysis performed on an outer layer of the titanium material using an incident angle of 0.3° satisfy (I(104)+I(200))/I(101)≥0.08−0.004×I(200), where I(104) is the peak intensity resulting from a plane (104) of a Ti.sub.2O.sub.3 phase, I(200) is the peak intensity resulting from a plane (200) of a TiO phase, I(101) is the peak intensity resulting from a plane (101) of an α-Ti phase, and 0<I(104), 0≤I(200), and 0<I(101). The titanium material is inexpensive and has both the electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance.

An electrically-conductive member having sufficient corrosion resistivity even when the electrically-conductive member is exposed to high potential environment and a method of manufacturing the electrically-conductive member are offered. An electrically-conductive member is obtained by a mist CVD method, by forming a metal oxide film on a base member of a separator, and the electrically-conductive member has an active potential range and a passive potential range in an anode polarization curve that is measured in a sulfuric acid aqueous solution having a sulfuric acid concentration that is 5.0×10.sup.−4 mol/dm.sup.3 at pH3 and having a temperature of 25° C., an anode current density that is 1×10.sup.−7 A/cm.sup.2 or less in the passive potential range, and the passive potential range reaching to an electric potential that is 1V.

The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell according to one form of the present disclosure includes the steps of: vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas; introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas containing the precursor gas and a reactive gas to a reaction chamber; applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the precursor gas and reactive gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a metal nitride coating layer on a substrate; introducing a carbon layer-forming gas containing a carbonaceous gas to the reaction chamber; and applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the carbonaceous gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a carbon coating layer on the metal nitride coating layer.

The method for coating a separator for a fuel cell according to one form of the present disclosure includes the steps of: vaporizing a metal nitride precursor to obtain a precursor gas; introducing a metal nitride coating layer-forming gas containing the precursor gas and a reactive gas to a reaction chamber; applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the precursor gas and reactive gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a metal nitride coating layer on a substrate; introducing a carbon layer-forming gas containing a carbonaceous gas to the reaction chamber; and applying a voltage to the reaction chamber so that the carbonaceous gas may be converted into a plasma state, thereby forming a carbon coating layer on the metal nitride coating layer.

A fuel cell column includes first and second fuel cell stacks, a fuel manifold disposed between the first and second fuel cell stacks and configured to provide fuel to the first and second fuel cell stacks, and first and second dielectric separators located between the fuel manifold and the respective first and second fuel cell stacks, and configured to electrically isolate the respective first and second fuel cell stacks from the fuel manifold. The first and second dielectric separators each include a top layer of a ceramic material, a bottom layer of the ceramic material, a middle layer disposed between the top and bottom layers and including a material having a lower density and a higher dielectric strength than the ceramic material, and glass or glass ceramic seals which connect the middle layer to the top and bottom layers.

A fuel cell stack comprises: a substrate; a plurality of single fuel cells each of which includes a fuel side electrode, an electrolyte, and an oxygen side electrode deposited on the substrate; an interconnector film electrically connecting the fuel side electrode of one single fuel cell of adjacent single fuel cells of the plurality of single fuel cells and the oxygen side electrode of the other single fuel cell; and a porous ceramic film covering at least the interconnector film in a region between a first fuel side electrode of one single fuel cell of adjacent single fuel cells and a second fuel side electrode of the other single fuel cell.

Methods and systems are provided for manufacturing a membrane separator for a redox flow battery. In one example, the membrane separator is fabricate by a calendering process. The membrane separator may be configured with a polymer network to provide selectivity for ion transport across the membrane separator. The membrane separator may be further adapted with an integrated spacer in contact with a negative electrolyte.

Methods and systems are provided for manufacturing a membrane separator for a redox flow battery. In one example, the membrane separator is fabricate by a calendering process. The membrane separator may be configured with a polymer network to provide selectivity for ion transport across the membrane separator. The membrane separator may be further adapted with an integrated spacer in contact with a negative electrolyte.

A fuel cell stack is provided that includes a top end plate, a bottom end plate, a plurality of fuel cells provided between the top end plate and the bottom end plate, at least one bipolar plate, a plurality of hollow fasteners, and a plurality of sleeves. Each of the at least one bipolar plate is formed between two of the plurality of fuel cells. The plurality of hollow fasteners and the plurality of sleeves extend through holes in each of the top end plate, the bottom end plate, the plurality of fuel cells and the at least one bipolar plate. Each of the plurality of sleeves surrounds one of the plurality of hollow fasteners. Each of the plurality of hollow fasteners comprises a top surface, a hole in the top surface, a side surface, and a plurality of holes formed in the side surface.

A fuel cell separator having high corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity is provided. This fuel cell separator includes, on a substrate, an antimony-doped tin oxide film having an alkyl group substituted with at least one fluorine atom, in which an element ratio of fluorine to tin (F/Sn) in the film is 3 or more and 7 or less.