Corrosion resistance of PANi‐coated steel in simulated PEMFC anodic environment

Abstract

AbstractBy using electrochemical techniques, the corrosion resistance of polyaniline (PANi)‐coated 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel was investigated in simulated proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) anodic environment. The results indicated that the compact conductive PANi film could be obtained on 1Cr18Ni9Ti steel by pulse potentiostatic method (PPSM). When steel was coated with conductive PANi, its corrosion potential was improved from −350 to 250 mV in simulated corrosion solution. During the potentiostatic polarization in PEMFC's anodic operation environment, the film is stable and there is no degradation of the PANi film. The film has no effect on the performance of the fuel cell. Further effort to improve the performance of conductive polymer coatings and to estimate the long‐term performance in actual PEMFC environment is desirable.