Electrochemical Properties of Tungsten-Alloying-Modified AISI 430 Stainless Steel as Bipolar Plates for PEMFCs used in Marine Environment

doi:10.1007/s40195-016-0464-4

Abstract

Abstract:

To improve the corrosion resistance and surface electrical conductivity of AISI 430 stainless steel (430 SS) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) used in marine environment, a tungsten alloying layer has been successfully prepared on 430 SS substrate via the plasma surface diffusion alloying technique. The tungsten-modified (W-modified) 430 SS displays a 7-8 μm tungsten alloying layer with a body-centered-cubic structure. The W-modified surface also shows a better hydrophobicity with contact angle of 93.5° and a lower interfacial contact resistance compared with the untreated 430 SS. The potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements show that the corrosion resistance of 430 SS is obviously improved in simulated PEMFC environment (0.05 M H₂SO₄ + 2 ppm HF + 0.01 M NaCl solution at 70 °C), after the plasma surface diffusion alloying process.

Key words: Tungsten alloying layer, Corrosion resistance, Proton exchange membrane fuel cell, Interfacial contact resistance, Bipolar plates

Jin-Long Cui,Zhen-Dong Yao,Yong-Fu Cui,Fu-Peng Cheng,Ting Xiao,Hong-Liang Sun,Ru-Jin Tian,Jun-Cai Sun. Electrochemical Properties of Tungsten-Alloying-Modified AISI 430 Stainless Steel as Bipolar Plates for PEMFCs used in Marine Environment[J]. Acta Metallurgica Sinica (English Letters), 2016, 29(10): 920-927.

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 Structure diagram of plasma surface alloying equipment

Fig. 2 a Surface morphology, b SEM image of the cross section and c EDS pattern for W-modified 430 SS

Fig. 3 XRD patterns of untreated and W-modified 430 SS

Fig. 4 Contact-angles with water of untreated a and W-modified 430 SS b

Fig. 5 ICR of untreated and W-modified 430 SS

Fig. 6 a Potentiodynamic and b potentiostatic polarization curves of untreated and W-modified 430 SS in the simulated cathode environment of PEMFC

Fig. 7 Surface morphology of a untreated and b W-modified 430 SS after potentiostatic polarization tests in simulated cathode environment of PEMFC

Fig. 8 Nyquist plots from untreated and W-modified 430 SS measured by EIS in the simulated cathode environment of PEMFC

Fig. 9 Equivalent circuits of the corrosion system for a untreated and b W-modified 430 SS

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