Corrosion Science and Technology

The Corrosion Science Society of Korea (한국부식방식학회)
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Comparative Study of Corrosion Resistance of Organic Coating and Dry Coating on 304 Stainless Steels Used for Bipolar Plates in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells

고분자전해질 연료전지 분리판용 304 스테인리스 강재의 유기습식 및 건식코팅에 따른 내식성 비교연구

  • Yong Hyeon Kim (Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University) ;
  • Jin Sung Park (Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University) ;
  • Sung Jin Kim (Department of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sunchon National University)
  • 김용현 (순천대학교 첨단신소재공학과) ;
  • 박진성 (순천대학교 첨단신소재공학과) ;
  • 김성진 (순천대학교 첨단신소재공학과)
  • Received : 2023.07.06
  • Accepted : 2023.08.01
  • Published : 2023.08.30
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Abstract

The electrochemical corrosion behaviors of 304 stainless steels (STSs) with various coatings (organic coating and dry coating) were examined, and their applicability as bipolar plates in polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) was validated. The results showed that the organic-coated samples had a significant decrease in anodic and cathodic current density compared to the uncoated sample. However, an increase in carbon black content in the organic coating or additional heat treatment at 700 ℃ resulted in a decrease in corrosion resistance. In addition, improvements in corrosion resistance achieved by adding TiO2 powder to the organic coating were found to be limited. In contrast, dry coating with TiC and CrC exhibited higher corrosion potential, significantly lower current density, and reduced contact resistance compared to the organic coatings. Notably, the TiC-coated sample showed a comparatively lower current density and more stable behavior than the CrC-coated sample. Based on a series of experimental results, a thin TiC coating without defects is proposed as a promising surface treatment strategy for STS bipolar plates in PEMFC.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported in part by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (No. 2022R1A2C4001255).

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