Abstract
PEMFC are considered to be the most promising for automotive energy because of their good working effect, low temperature, high efficiency, and zero pollution. Stainless steel as a PEMFC bipolar plate has unparalleled advantages in strength, cost, and processability, but it is easy to corrode in a PEMFC working environment. In order to improve the corrosion resistance, the surface modification of 316L stainless steel is a feasible solution for PEMFC bipolar plates. In the present study, the plasma-nitrided coating and CrNx coating were prepared by the plasma-enhanced balanced magnetron sputtering technology on the 316L stainless steel surface. The microstructures, phase compositions, and corrosion resistance behavior of the coatings were investigated. The corrosion behavior of the prepared plasma-nitrided coating and CrNx coating was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization, potentiostatic polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in both cathodic and anodic environments. The experimental results show that corrosion resistance of the CrNx coating was better than the plasma-nitrided coating. It was indicated that the technology process of nitriding first and then depositing Cr was better than nitriding only.
Highlights
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of a reaction directly into electrical energy [1]
When 316L stainless steel was in the contact with air, thin films of iron oxide and chromium oxide were formed on its surface
316L stainless steel surfaces were coated by the plasma-enhanced balanced magnetron sputtering
Summary
Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that convert the chemical energy of a reaction directly into electrical energy [1]. The PEMFC operates at a low temperature (60–80 ◦ C) and has a high specific power and compactness It consisted of membrane electrode assembly and bipolar plates. A coating with strong adhesion, compact structure, good corrosion resistance, and strong conductivity is usually prepared on the stainless steel surface [11,12,13,14,15]. Plasma-nitrided PVD coatings can increase the corrosion resistance and significantly reduce the contact resistance of bipolar plates. Metal plasma nitrides (CrN, TiN, and Cr/TiN) with good corrosion resistance, excellent interface conductivity, and low cost [28,29,30] are known as potential materials for surface modification. The corrosion behavior of the plasma-nitrided and CrNx are coated on the 316L stainless steel and is investigated by the electrochemical method. The performance of corrosion resistance and surface morphologies of the plasma-nitrided coating and CrNx coating were compared
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
