Take control of your production
Hydrogen Solutions
Impact Coatings has been supplying customers with hydrogen coating solutions for more than a decade. Our PVD technology offers clean coating processes and allows the production of high-performing fuel cell and electrolysis coatings optimized for increased durability.
Our delivery models are flexible to meet the production needs in all development stages. We support customers from test and verification stages to pre-series volumes, up to full volume production in our Coating Service Centers. We can also support customers with managed services or offer an in-house production system perfectly matched to the customer’s application.
This proven service and system delivery model supports the hydrogen industry to scale up with maximum control in each production phase.
Coating Development for Fuel Cells
The research at Impact Coatings for optimized coating solutions for metal bipolar plates started in 2007. Since then we have worked with most leading automotive and fuel cell companies on various development projects. The Ceramic MAXPHASE™ coating for LT-PEMFC was introduced in 2012 and was selected for the first production fuel cell car application in 2015.
We continue to work closely together with our customers for improved and new coating solutions. This includes coatings for LT-PEMFC, but also for other fuel cell applications and technology for hydrogen production.
Ceramic MAXPHASE™ – Coating for Durable Performance and Low Cost
The patented Ceramic MAXPHASE™ coating for LT-PEMFC metal bipolar plates provides superior power output and durability for the fuel cell stack. The material is an electrically conductive ceramic without noble metals, making it insensible to high and volatile metal prices. High-productivity coating of Ceramic MAXPHASE™ is performed using PVD.
Verified by ZBT
Ceramic MAXPHASE™ has been verified to be on par with, or even better than, gold coating of metal plates in an LT-PEM fuel cell in terms of current density and degradation. The test was performed by the independent German research institute ZBT (Zentrum für BrennstoffzellenTechnik GmbH).
The ZBT test uses an accelerated stress test protocol* to investigate performance and durability. Fuel cell current density is reported at 0.6 V cell voltage on a single cell assembly. The AST-3 test protocol uses high temperatures, humidities and potential cycling to accelerate the ageing of the coating, enabling a differentiation between different coatings within a test duration of 500 hours. The conditions are considered highly relevant for automotive fuel cell applications.
*) ZBT’s accelerated stress test “AST-3” features a fuel cell with dynamic load cycles, potential variations, and temperature variations.
Electrolyzer Coating Solutions
In a PEM electrolyzer stack, the metal plates and the porous transport layers (PTLs) are core components. By coating these, the stack achieves the highest current density and longest durability, both of which are crucial for its key metrics and market competitiveness.
PVD noble metal coatings provide outstanding corrosion resistance, low contact resistance and excellent adhesion. We offer iridium, platinum and gold coatings suitable for electrolyzer metal plates. Combine premium performance and low technical risk.
Get your electrolyzer coating samples and start your pre-series process through Coating Services.
Coating Services and Class-Leading System Solutions
In addition to highly efficient coating materials, Impact Coatings supports customers with production solutions all the way from pilot or pre-series production to full scale volume manufacturing.
At our facility in Sweden we provide a full in-house coating operation for metal bipolar plates as well as other non-fuel cell related coating production. The coating service typically supports customers during prototype and pilot production phases and is utilized by plate and stack manufacturers globally.
When customer volumes increase, we supply the class-leading INLINECOATER™ coating equipment optimized for fuel cell plates and prepared for integration in automated manufacturing lines.