Abstract
To improve corrosion resistance and electronic conductivity of bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), coatings of TiNb and TiNbN on 316L stainless steel (SS) were prepared by magnetron sputtering. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements confirmed the existence of metallic nitrides in the TiNbN coating. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests showed that the deposited coatings provided smooth surfaces. Further electrochemical measurements indicated that the corrosion resistance of TiNb coating was significantly higher than that of substrate. At 0.19 V vs MSE, the long-term stabilized current density of TiNb/316L SS was lower than 1 μA·cm−2. The interfacial contact resistance (ICR) values between coating and carbon paper suggested that TiNb and TiNbN films had better contact conductivity than 316L SS substrate. In conclusion, TiNb coated 316L SS metallic bipolar plate material is a promising option for PEMFC.
Highlights
The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a kind of energy conversion device, which transforms chemical energy into electricity
The results indicate that the TiNb film has high corrosion resistance at 0.19 V vs mercurous sulfate electrode (MSE)
TiNb and TiNbN films with low Ti content were coated on 316L stainless steel (SS) by magnetron sputtering with a view to application for bipolar plates in PEMFC
Summary
The proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a kind of energy conversion device, which transforms chemical energy into electricity. PEMFC is composed of a proton exchange membrane, catalysts, gas diffusion layers, and bipolar plates. One of the reasons for failure is corrosion of the bipolar plates. The corrosion resistance of the bipolar plates is one of the decisive factors influencing the lifetime of a PEMFC. Earlier studies concentrated on graphite materials and graphite-based composite bipolar plates [5,6,7], considering the high corrosion resistance of graphite. Graphite is brittle and in order to prevent breaking, it is usually machined into quite thick bipolar plate, which increases weight and manufacturing costs of the PEMFC stack [8]. Along with the development of metal forming and welding techniques, metallic bipolar plates have become increasingly relevant for PEMFC due to
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