Carbon plates proven in electrolyser testing
Recent research conducted by Fraunhofer UMSICHT and Ruhr University Bochum has delivered highly promising results for the use of carbon-based bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers.
The study demonstrated that uncoated carbon plates can operate reliably under real PEM electrolyser conditions:
- 567 hours of operation at 80°C
- Switching between 1 and 3 A/cm² current density
- Low degradation rates maintained throughout testing
- No corrosion observed after extended use
This marks the first time that uncoated carbon plates have been validated in long-term in situ testing rather than only in controlled laboratory environments. Importantly, the results showed performance on par with titanium across key metrics, indicating that carbon is a viable, low-cost and non-metallic alternative for practical applications.
We commend the researchers for their impressive work and for sharing findings that could help accelerate the adoption of sustainable materials in electrolyser technology. Read the full research article here.