Simultaneous Measurement of Bulk and Contact Resistance of Conductive Materials for Fuel Cells

The inner resistance of fuel cell is decisive for its performance and depends strongly on the clamping force of the cell. The bulk resistance of materials can be assumed as constant over pressure range. With 90% the contact resistance is the most important part in the overall resistance and decreases with increasing pressure. A measurement setup is developed for the simultaneous measurement and separation of bulk and contact resistances of materials used in fuel cells. High measurement accuracy and a good reproducibility were achieved. The total resistance can be determined with a standard deviation of 0.45-2% and the bulk resistance with a standard deviation up to 1.9%.