Dow Corning, Hydrogenics develop sealing process for fuel cell stacks

MIDLAND, Mich. (Aug. 15)—Dow Corning Corp. has signed an agreement to jointly commercialize with fuel cell manufacturer Hydrogenics Corp. a process the two companies co-developed to seal proton exchange membrane, or PEM, fuel cell stacks. Fuel Cell Seal-in-Place technology is a cost-effective, automated sealing process that injects Dow Corning's silicone materials into an unsealed, assembled fuel cell stack. The process substantially reduces stack assembly time and labor costs by eliminating the need to individually seal each cell in the stack, the companies said. Fuel cells could use as many as 1,200 mostly static seals according to seal makers.