University of New South Wales testing shows a Australian start-up’s ultra-thin silicon bipolar plates deliver twice the power of graphite while corroding 26 times more slowly than stainless steel.
Silicon bipolar plates developed by Sydney start-up Siltrax delivered double the power output of conventional graphite plates in laboratory testing at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The company is now moving to commercial trials of the technology.
Bipolar plates sit inside hydrogen fuel cells, conducting electricity and managing the flow of gases, water and heat. Conventional metal plates corrode over time and often need costly protective coatings. Graphite plates avoid corrosion but are heavy and brittle. Siltrax uses silicon to produce ultra-thin plates intended to improve both performance and lifespan.
The testing was conducted by Dr Quentin Meyer and Laureate Professor Chuan Zhao at the NanoElectroChemistry Lab in the UNSW School of Chemistry. Beyond the power result, the bare silicon plates corroded 26 times more slowly than stainless steel. Their heat transfer properties were 10 times better than stainless steel, which cuts thermal stress and extends system life.
“These results far surpassed what we anticipated,” Meyer said. “Silicon’s corrosion performance alone is a significant differentiator. Combined with the power output data, it is clear that ultra-thin silicon plates are a serious contender for next-generation fuel cells.”
Commercial trials next
Fuel cells are gaining ground as a clean power option for sectors that are hard to electrify, including heavy transport, shipping and aviation. Performance and durability remain the main constraints, and the bipolar plate is one of the components that sets both.
Fred Qi, director of sales engineering at Siltrax, said the results position silicon as a serious, low-cost alternative to the stainless steel and graphite plates that have long constrained fuel cell performance. “This milestone shows what’s possible when world-class Australian research is translated into commercial technology,” he said.
With the research phase complete, Siltrax is moving into commercial testing and is exploring opportunities across Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas. The company secured TUV certification for its hydrogen fuel cell stacks in January. It says it will target hard-to-abate sectors where higher-performance fuel cells change the economics of switching away from diesel and fuel oil.
For fuel cell manufacturers, the numbers suggest a cheaper plate material that outlasts today’s options. If commercial trials repeat the laboratory results, silicon plates would remove one of the persistent cost and durability barriers holding back fuel cells in heavy industry.
