PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A DISTRIBUTOR PLATE FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEM AND DISTRIBUTOR PLATE FOR AN ELECTROCHEMICAL SYSTEM

Abstract

A process (30) for producing a distributor plate (1) for an electrochemical system, wherein the distributor plate (1) has at least one metal foil (2) having a first surface (3) and a second surface (4) and the process (30) has the following process steps: a) pretreatment (31) of the metal foil (2); b) mask formation (32) at least on the first surface (3) of the pretreated metal foil (2); c) structure formation (33) at least on the first surface (3) of the metal foil (2) provided with the mask (10), as a result of which a first fluid distributor structure (5) is formed; d) mask removal (36).

Claims

1. A process (30) for producing a distributor plate (1) for an electrochemical system, wherein the distributor plate (1) has at least one metal foil (2) having a first surface (3) and a second surface (4), the process (30) comprising the following process steps: a) pretreatment (31) of the metal foil (2); b) mask formation (32) at least on the first surface (3) of the pretreated metal foil (2); c) structure formation (33) at least on the first surface (3) of the metal foil (2) provided with the mask (10), as a result of which a first fluid distributor structure (5) is formed; and d) mask removal (36).

2. The process (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that a second fluid distributor structure (6) is formed by the structure formation (33) on the second surface (4) of the metal foil (2).

3. The process (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the pretreatment (31) of the metal foil (2)includes chemical or electrochemical cleaning or degreasing.

4. The process (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that lithography or a prefabricated mask (10) is used in a band plant (20) for mask formation (32).

5. The process (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure formation (33) is effected by electrochemical coating (34) or wet-chemical or electrochemical etching (35).

6. The process (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the structure formation (33) is effected by electrochemical coating (34) or wet-chemical or electrochemical etching (35), with the structure formation (33) being effected by electrochemical coating (34) or wet-chemical or electrochemical etching (35) in the band plant (20).

7. A distributor plate (1) for an electrochemical system, the distributor plate (1) comprising at least one metal foil (2) having a first surface (3) and a second surface (4) and at least one first fluid distributor structure (5) has been formed by structure formation (33) on the first surface (3) of the metal foil (2).

8. The distributor plate (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that a second fluid distributor structure (6) has been formed by the structure formation (33) on the second surface (4) of the metal foil (2).

9. The distributor plate (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the first and/or second fluid distributor structure(s) (5 and/or 6) has a meandering or egg carton-like or honeycomb-like or linear or groove-like or spiral or circular or other topology.

10. The distributor plate (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the first and/or second fluid distributor structure(s) (5 and/or 6) has a meandering or egg carton-like or honeycomb-like or linear or groove-like or spiral or circular or other topology, with discrete and spaced raised regions (7) or depressions (8) which project from or sink into a flat areal section (9) and are uniformly distributed over the areal section (9) are distributed over the first and/or second surface(s) (3 and/or 4) of the metal foil (2), as a result of which the first and/or second fluid distributor structure(s) (5 and/or 6) is/are formed.

11. The distributor plate (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the distributor plate (1) has a thickness (D) of from 10 μm to 1000 μm.

12. The distributor plate (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the distributor plate (1) has a thickness (D) of from 100 μm to 200 μm, with the first fluid distributor structure (5) having a height (H) or depth (T) relative to the first surface (3) of the metal foil (2) of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, with the second fluid distributor structure (6) having a height (H) or depth (T) relative to the second surface (4) of the metal foil (2) of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, with the raised regions (7) and depressions (8) of the first and/or second fluid distributor structure(s) (5 and/or 6) being in the order of magnitude of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm.

13. The distributor plate (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the distributor plate (1) has a thickness (D) of from 100 μm to 200 μm, with the first fluid distributor structure (5) having a height (H) or depth (T) relative to the first surface (3) of the metal foil (2) of from 1 μm to 10 μm, with the second fluid distributor structure (6) having a height (H) or depth (T) relative to the second surface (4) of the metal foil (2) of from 1 μm to 10 μm, with the raised regions (7) and depressions (8) of the first and/or second fluid distributor structure(s) (5 and/or 6) being in the order of magnitude of from 1 μm to 10 μm.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred Working Examples

[0025] Further measures which improve the invention may be derived from the following description of a working example of the invention which is shown schematically in the figures. All features and/or advantages which can be derived from the claims, the description or the drawing, including structural details, three-dimensional arrangements and process steps, can be important for the invention both alone and also in a variety of combinations. It should be noted here that the figures have only a descriptive character and are not intended to restrict the invention in any way. The figures schematically show:

[0026] FIG. 1 a first working example of a process, in which electrochemical coating is used,

[0027] FIG. 2 a further working example of a process in which wet-chemical etching is used,

[0028] FIG. 3 a further working example of a process in the spot module of a band plant, in which electrochemical coating is used,

[0029] FIG. 4 a further working example of a process in the spot module of a band plant, in which wet-chemical etching is used.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] In the various figures, identical parts are always denoted by the same reference symbols, for which reason these are generally described only once.

[0031] FIG. 1 schematically shows a process 30 for producing a distributor plate 1 for an electrochemical system. The distributor plate 1 has at least one metal foil 2 having a first surface 3 and a second surface 4, with soiling 12 being present on the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2. The distributor plate 1 has a thickness of from 10 μm to 1000 μm, preferably from 100 μm to 200 μm.

[0032] The process 30 comprises the following process steps:

a) pretreatment 31 of the metal foil 2;
b) mask formation 32 at least on the first surface 3 of the pretreated metal foil 2;
c) structure formation 33 at least on the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2 provided with the mask or structure pattern 10, as a result of which a first fluid distributor structure 5 is formed; and
d) mask removal 36.

[0033] As can be seen from FIG. 1, the metal foil 2 is cleaned after the pretreatment 31, i.e. possible soiling 12 is firstly removed from the first surface 3 and/or the second surface 4 of the metal foil 2. Lithography is used here for mask formation 32, as a result of which the mask 10 is formed on the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2. The mask 10 is depicted shaded in FIG. 1, while mask-free places 11 are shown as points. It is conceivable for the mask 10 also to be formed simultaneously on the second surface 4 of the metal foil 2. Electrochemical coating 34 is used here for structure formation 33. During the structure formation 33, electrochemical coating 34 takes place at the point-like mask-free places on the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2, as a result of which raised regions 7 are formed. The raised regions 7 are, by way of example, shown hatched as perpendicular circular cylinders which project from the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2 in FIG. 1. The raised regions 7 have, for example, an order of magnitude of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, preferably from 1 μm to 20 μm, so that the first fluid distributor structure 5 formed thereby has a height H relative to the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2 of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, preferably from 1 μm to 20 μm. Mask removal 36 subsequently takes place, so that the mask 10 is removed from the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2. The distributor plate or the metal foil have, for example, a thickness D of from 10 μm to 1000 μm, preferably from 100 μm to 200 μm.

[0034] FIG. 2 schematically shows a process 30 for producing a distributor plate 1 for an electrochemical system by means of wet-chemical etching. Compared to the process of FIG. 1, wet-chemical etching 35 takes place here for structure formation 33. After the process step of mask formation 32, a mask 10, which is shown schematically in point form in FIG. 2, is formed on the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2. Etching 35 then takes place at the mask-free places 11 of the metal foil 2. The metal foil 2 is etched at the mask-free places 11 by the wet-chemical etching 35 or the structure formation 33, so that the metal foil 2 now has only a reduced thickness RD at a flat areal section 9 formed by etching. Raised regions 7 in the form of perpendicular pseudocircular cylinders have been formed under the mask 10. Mask removal 36 subsequently takes place, so that the mask 10 is removed from the top surfaces of the raised regions 7. The raised regions 7 and the first fluid distributor structure 5 formed thereby have a height H relative to the flat areal section 9 of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, preferably from 1 μm to 20 μm. In other words, the first fluid distributor structure 5 has a depth T relative to the first surface 3 of the metal foil of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, preferably from 1 μm to 20 μm. When the depth T of the first fluid distributor structure 5 is added to the reduced thickness RD of the metal foil 2 at the areal section 9, the thickness D of the metal foil 2 before etching 35 is obtained.

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically shows a process 30 only in the spot module of a band plant 20, with electrochemical coating 34 occurring. In the process step of mask formation 32, a prefabricated mask or structure pattern 10 is applied to the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2. The prefabricated mask 10 is shown shaded in FIG. 3, while mask-free places 11 are illustrated as open windows. In this way, the mask-free places 11 are electrochemically coated in the band plant 20. After the coating operation 34, the metal foil 2 can, for example, be conveyed to the right as a strip at a predetermined speed in the band plant 20, while the mask 10 can be held still over the metal foil 2. In this way, the still to be coated metal foil 2 is conveyed under the mask 10 and automatically coated, while the previously coated metal foil 2 is, for example, conveyed to the right. The coating operation 34 has formed raised regions 7 or a first fluid distributor structure 5 in the form of, for example, cuboids which are depicted hatched in FIG. 3. The raised regions 7 have a height H relative to the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2 of from 0.1 μm to 100 μm, preferably from 1 μm to 20 μm.

[0036] FIG. 4 schematically shows a process 30 merely in the spot module of a band plant 20, with wet-chemical etching 35 being used. Compared to FIG. 3, structure formation 33 is carried out by etching 35 here. Accordingly, no raised regions 7 but instead holes or depressions 8 in the form of cuboids are formed. The depressions 8 have a depth T relative to the first surface 3 of the metal foil 2.