Effect of Carbon Fiber Felt Pretreatment on Properties of Carbon Fiber Paper

Gas diffusion layer is a very important component in fuel cell, and carbon fiber paper is widely used as substrate of gas diffusion layer. This paper has developed one way to produce carbon fiber paper from carbon fiber felt with or without pretreatment. The properties and microstructure of carbon fiber paper were also stdied. The results show that the pretreatment of carbon fiber felt is helpful to prepare carbon fiber paper with good properties. The content of carbon derived from resin during pretreatment has effects on density, thickness, porosity, gas permeability, porosity and tensile streagth of carbon fiber paper. Carbon fiber paper made from carbon fiber felt with pretreatment has better interface adhension than that of carbon fiber paper made from carbon fiber felt without pretreatment. Carbon fiber paper was produced with thickness of 0.28mm, density of 0.43g/cm(3), porosity of 77%, gas permeability of 2500 mL.mm/(cm(2).hr.mmAq), specific resistance of 0.017 Omega.cm and tensile strength of 18MPa, which is a promising materials for fuel cell electrode.