Balancing the corrosion resistance and conductivity of Cr-Al-C coatings via annealing treatment for metal bipolar plates

Metal bipolar plates (BPs) with excellent corrosion resistance and good conductivity have been becoming one of key issues to explore proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). Here, we fabricated the high-performance protective Cr-Al-C coatings on stainless steel 316L using a combined cathodic arc and magnetron sputtering deposition with subsequent annealing. The electrochemical measurements in 0.5 M H2SO4 + 5 ppm HF solution and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) tests indicated that all the coatings exhibited enhanced corrosion resistance and excellent conductivity. As the annealing time increased, enhanced conductivity and corrosion current density were observed. Particularly, the sample annealed at 550 degrees C for 2 h exhibited the best comprehensive performance in balancing the corrosion current density of 3.02 x 10-7A cm-2 and ICR of 4.5 m omega cm2 under 140 N cm-2, respectively. The present work provides the alternative strategy to apply the promising Cr-Al-C coatings for high-performance metal BPs used in PEMFCs.

Automated summary

This study focuses on the fabrication of high-performance protective coatings on stainless steel using a combination of techniques, and investigates their corrosion resistance and conductivity properties. The results show that the coatings exhibit enhanced corrosion resistance and conductivity, with improved performance observed as the annealing time increases.