A review of the research progress of composite bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells with different substrate materials

As an important component in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, the performance of bipolar plates, such as electrical conductivity, bending strength, corrosion resistance, gas tightness, etc., directly determines the lifetime of fuel cells and their promotion applications. Composite bipolar plates have become a research hotspot and have been applied and promoted in related fields because of their strong design, flexible formulation, excellent performance, low cost, and applicability to various operating environments. This paper analyzes in detail the research progress of composite bipolar plates using different matrix materials, briefly analyzes and introduces the research on improving the performance of composite bipolar plates, and makes an outlook on the future development trend of composite bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane batteries.