Effects of temperature on corrosion performances of TiO2/SS316L in supercritical water for hydrogen production

Temperature is the most important factor for hydrogen generation during supercritical water gasification process. However, the increasing temperature could accelerate the corrosion of the reactor material, at the presence of oxygen, as less amount of oxygen can promote the hydrogen production. In this study, we prepared a 0.1 mm thick of TiO₂ coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) to enhance the corrosion resistance of SS316L during hydrogen production process in supercritical water. The influences of temperature (400–500 °C) on surface morphologies and corrosion depth and rate of TiO₂/SS316L were evaluated at 25 MPa with 1000 mg/L oxygen for 80h. Results showed that cracks and pores were present on the surface of TiO₂/SS316L after corroded in SCW for 80h. The crack width and corrosion rate was aggravated at higher temperature. The remained thickness of the coating at 400 °C, 450 °C, 500 °C were 0.08 mm, 0.05 mm and 0.03 mm, respectively. NiO and NiFe₂O₄ were generated around the crack on the surface of TiO₂/316L at 500 °C, the coating had a tendency to peel off the substrate.     

Comparative study on corrosion characteristics of Al2O3/316L and TiO2/316L stainless steel in supercritical water

Al₂O₃ and TiO₂ coatings were fabricated on 316L stainless steel by atmospheric plasma spraying to improve the corrosion resistance of 316L stainless steel in supercritical water. The corrosion characteristics of the samples were evaluated in a batch reactor at 500 °C and 25 MPa with an oxygen concentration of 1000 mg/L for 80 h. The adhesive strengths of the coated samples were tested, and the weight changes, morphologies and elements distributions of the fresh and corroded samples were analyzed. Results showed that the bond strength of TiO₂/316L was 1.5 times than that of Al₂O₃/316L (26.639 N/mm²). The surface morphology of Al₂O₃/316L showed gully erosion with much pores and cracks after exposed in SCW, which provided channels for oxygen and SCW to get into the substrate and also the elements in substrate to diffuse to the surface of the coating. The corroded Al₂O₃/316L suffered significant weight loss, and most of the coatings were peeled off. However, the surface morphology of TiO₂/316L was relatively dense and the thickness of the coating was not found to decrease obviously.     

Corrosion characteristics of 316L as transpiring wall material in supercritical water oxidation of sewage sludge

Systematical corrosion tests of austenitic stainless steel 316L exposed to sewage sludge SCWO (supercritical water oxidation) were conducted in a batch stirred reactor with hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. Experiment conditions such as temperature, oxidation coefficient, pH value, corrosion medium, were chosen mainly keeping in mind the place and environment of reactions (i.e. surrounding transpiring wall). The exposed samples were ultimately analyzed by weight measurement, scanning electron microscopy in conjunction with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The results show that severe pitting corrosion occurred as the sample was exposed to complicated environments, and different oxides including Fe₃O₄, FeCr₂O₄ and MoO₃ were found on the sample surface. The corrosion rate at all test conditions (360–450 °C pH = 5.2–10.05, oxidation coefficient of 0–2.0, sewage sludge or its SCWO reactor effluent) was in the range of 0.12–0.66 mm/y, and it increased as temperature and OC increased at supercritical conditions. Moreover, potential corrosion mechanism of 316L in sewage sludge SCWO is proposed, and influences of operating parameters on 316L corrosion properties are summarized. 316L and reactor effluent could be considered as transpiring wall material and transpiring water in sewage sludge SCWO with transpiring wall reactor, respectively.     

Effect of sulfide on corrosion behavior of stainless steel 316SS and Hastelloy C276 in sub/supercritical water

Stainless steel 316SS and Hastelloy C276, as the representatives of iron-based and nickel-based alloy, respectively, were employed to explore the corrosion properties under reducing subcritical and supercritical water containing sulfide. Experiments were executed at a pressure of 25 MPa, temperatures of 350 °C–520 °C, and sulfur concentrations of 1000 and 5000 ppm for 80 h. An isothermal equilibrium phase diagram involving the oxidation/sulfidation products of Fe, Cr, and Ni, was established by theoretical calculation in supercritical water system at 520 °C, in order to predict the corresponding products under various conditions and assist the discussion on corrosion mechanism. The results show that whether in subcritical water or in supercritical water, 316SS always exhibited better corrosion resistance relative to C276. In subcritical water at 350 °C, a portion of corrosion film peeled off from 316SS specimen, while numerous pores or cracks appeared on the surface of scale for C276. Under supercritical water at 520 °C, a compact scale grown on 316SS sample surface was composed of Fe₃O₄, FeCr₂O₄, and FeS. For C276, a duplex-layer scale formed on alloy surface. However, due to the higher content of Ni in C276, Ni-sulfide channels through the inner layer were developed, accelerating the sulfidation corrosion of alloys. Overall, the high-temperature alloys with high Cr content and low Ni/Cr ratio can be considered as the candidate material of equipment in supercritical water gasification of sulfur-containing coal.     

Influences of oxygen on corrosion characteristics of TiO2/316L stainless steel in supercritical water

Supercritical water gasification (SCWG) is a promising technology for converting organic wastes to hydrogen. Less amount of oxygen is beneficial for increasing hydrogen generation rate. However, the corrosion rate of reactor material would be accelerated. TiO₂ coating with a thickness of 0.1 mm was prepared on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) to improve its corrosion resistance in supercritical water (SCW). The corrosion performances of TiO₂/SS316L were tested in a bath SCW reactor at 400 °C, 25 MPa. The influences of oxygen concentration (0–1000 mg/L) on surface morphologies and corrosion depths were studied thoroughly. Results indicated that the surface of TiO₂/SS316L exhibited cracks and pores after exposed in SCW. And the average corrosion rates accelerated at higher oxygen concentrations. The interface between the coating and medium was relatively smooth and there was no obvious change in the thickness of the coating with oxygen concentration of 0 and 500 mg/L. While for that with 1000 mg/L oxygen, the surface of TiO₂/SS316L exhibited reticulate crack. The cross section showed a serrate structure, and only 0.08 mm thick of the coating was remained. In addition, the corrosion mechanism of coating was discussed.     

Influence of heat treatment on corrosion behaviors of 316L stainless steel in simulated cathodic environment of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

The influences of two types of heat-treatments on the corrosion behavior of 316L SS in the simulated cathodic environment of PEMFC, are investigated using potentiodynamic curve, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), Mott-Schottky plot and auger electron spectroscopy (AES), respectively. The results show that 316L SS is in the passive state within the potential region from −0.1V_SCE to 0.8V_SCE in the simulated cathodic environment of PEMFC, and a passive film can be formed on 316L SS. The passivity of 316L SS in the simulated cathodic environment of PEMFC firstly increases and then degrades with the increased solid solution temperature or time, and the best passivity corresponds to the solid solution temperature at 1050 °C for 40 min among other solid solution treatments. While 316L SS heat-treated with the solid solution treatment at 1050 °C for 40 min plus aging treatment at 900 °C for 4 h, also has the best passivity in the same solution among other solid solution plus aging treatments. The best corrosion protection, lowest donor density and the highest thickness of the passive film corresponding to the solid solution temperature at 1050 °C for 40 min among other solid solution or solid solution plus aging heat treatments, and this treatment is mostly suitable for improving the anti-corrosion property of 316L SS in the simulated cathodic environment of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).     

Corrosion properties and contact resistance of TiN, TiAlN and CrN coatings in simulated proton exchange membrane fuel cell environments

In this study, the contact resistance (CR) and electrochemical properties of TiN, CrN and TiAlN electron beam physical vapor deposition (EBPVD) coatings and their stainless steel 316L (SS316L) substrate were investigated in a simulated proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell environment. The potentiodynamic polarization corrosion tests were conducted at 70 °C in 1 M H₂SO₄ purged with either O₂ or H₂, and the potentiostatic corrosion tests were performed under both simulated cathodic (+0.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode purged with O₂) and anodic conditions (−0.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl reference electrode purged with H₂) for a long period (4 h). SEM was used to observe the surface morphologies of the samples after corrosion testing. All the TiN-, TiAlN- and CrN-coated SS316L showed a lower CR than the uncoated SS316L. While the corrosion performance of the coatings was dependent on the cathodic and anodic conditions, the CrN coating exhibited a higher (in the anodic environment) or similar (in the cathodic environment) corrosion resistance to the uncoated SS316L. Thus, the CrN-coated SS316L could potentially be used as a bipolar plate material in the PEM fuel cell environment. Although the EBPVD process greatly reduced number of pinholes in the coatings compared to other plasma enhanced reactive evaporations, future research efforts should be directed to eliminate the pinholes in the coatings for long-term durability in fuel cell applications.     

Electrochemical analysis on the growth of oxide formed on stainless steels in molten carbonate at 650 °C

The oxide growth on stainless steel (SS) 310S and 316L, used as a cathode current collector material of molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC), were examined in the mixture of 62 mol% Li₂CO₃–38 mol% K₂CO₃ at 650 °C by measuring the change in corrosion potential and potentiodynamic response of the alloys and also in terms of impedance analysis on the alloy|oxide layer|electrolyte system. The corrosion potential of SS 316L was in an active region for 12 h-immersion, whereas that of SS 310S drastically increased after 6 h-immersion due to an active to passive transition. The corrosion rate of the two SSs decreased with immersion due to the growth of protective oxide. However, the decrease in the corrosion rate of SS 310S is much greater than that of SS 316L. The oxide formed on the two SSs was found to be duplex layer, composed of inner Cr enriched oxide and outer Fe enriched oxide. However, the inner Cr enriched layer of 310S is more clearly separated from the outer Fe enriched layer than that of SS 316L due primarily to the higher Cr content in SS 310S. The drastic increase in the corrosion potential of SS 310S after 6 h-immersion is closely associated with the growth of the inner Cr enriched oxide layer. The corrosion resistance of SS depends dominantly on the resistance of the inner Cr enriched oxide that is determined form the impedance analysis on the alloy|oxide layer|electrolyte system. The higher corrosion resistance of SS 310S compared with SS 316L results from the more protective inner Cr enriched oxide layer, as confirmed by its higher resistance associated with the higher Cr content in SS 310S.     

Evaluation of anticorrosion and contact resistance behavior of poly(orthophenylenediamine)- coated 316L SS bipolar plate for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

The present work was focused on the corrosion properties and contact resistance behavior of poly(orthophenlyenediamine) (PoPD) coating on 316L SS bipolar plates. To reduce the corrosion rate and increase the interfacial conductivity of 316L SS bipolar plates, PoPD coating was deposited using an electropolymerization technique by the various monomer concentration of orthophenlyenediamine (oPD) on its surface. The presence of 1, 2, 4, 5- tetra substituted benzene nuclei of phenazine units in the polymer coating was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis has confirmed the (%) of chemical composition in PoPD coating. The results of scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the uniform and compact coating with complete cover on 316L SS. The corrosion properties were investigated in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ and 2 ppm HF solution at 80 °C. The polarization test results showed that the PoPD coating reduced the corrosion current density both in the PEMFC anode and cathode environments. The charge transfer resistance values were in the order of 316L SS ? 0.02 M PoPD ? 0.06 M PoPD ? 0.04 M PoPD. A very low interfacial contact resistance and good adhesion strength was observed for 0.04 M PoPD coating. The higher contact angle of 0.04 M PoPD coating explained the hydrophobic property and more benefit of water management in the PEMFC environment. The results of the analysis of total metal ion releases clearly explained that the low level of metal ions released for 0.04 M PoPD coating. The overall studies revealed the PoPD coating with optimized 0.04 M oPD concentration showed best performance and provided more anodic protection to 316L SS bipolar plates.     

Chromium-containing carbon film on stainless steel as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

A series of chromium-containing carbon films are deposited on 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by pulsed bias arc ion plating (PBAIP). The film characterizations are evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated SS316L samples and carbon paper is measured. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests in the simulated corrosive circumstance of PEMFC are conducted to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the coated SS316L samples. The results indicate the films are primarily composed of pure carbon atoms with amorphous structure, including sp³ and sp² carbon atoms. The contents of sp³ and sp² carbon atom are remarkably influenced by the doping chromium. ICR and corrosion resistance of the coated SS316L sample are greatly improved owing to the surface film. The lowest ICR between the coated SS316L sample and carbon paper is only 2.8 mΩ cm² at the compaction force of 120 N cm⁻². The ICR has a close relationship with the contents of sp³ and sp² carbon atom, and the lowest ICR is obtained for the Cr_0.23C_0.77 film with the lowest sp³ carbon atom content and highest sp² carbon atom content. The SS316L sample with Cr_0.23C_0.77 film also exhibits the best corrosion resistance. Finally, the variations of ICR and surface morphology of the coated sample before and after corrosion testing are discussed.     

Effects of Mo content on the interfacial contact resistance and corrosion properties of CrN coatings on SS316L as bipolar plates in simulated PEMFCs environment

CrMoN films with different Mo contents are deposited on SS316L by closed filed unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating (CFUBMSIP) to investigate corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity. The sputtering current of Mo target was altered to obtain various Mo contents. The result of SEM confirms that CrMoN coatings have a dense and uniform microstructure. X-ray diffraction (XRD) result shows that CrMoN coated samples have a preferred orientation of (111) direction. Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between bipolar plate and gas diffusion layer (GDL) decreases with Mo incorporation, and CrMoN-4A coated sample has the lowest ICR value of 5.8 mΩ cm² at 1.4 MPa. The result of potentiodynamic polarization test in the simulated PEMFCs environment shows that incorporation of Mo doped CrN coating can obviously improve the corrosion resistance of samples and CrMoN-4A has the highest corrosion potential which is 0.1341 V in simulated PEMFCs cathode environment. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) result indicates that the incorporation of Mo can improve better corrosion resistance, and CrMoN-4A has the highest corrosion resistance. The corrosion mechanism of coating also has been investigated.     

Long-term corrosion tests of materials for thermal decomposition of sulphuric acid

The corrosion resistance of tubes of Incoloy 800 and AISI 310 SS has been studied in a mixture of air and H₂SO₄ vapours at 1 bar pressure. The duration of the test was one year (8500 h). The temperatures of the tubes ranged from 400 to 700°C for SS AISI 310 and from 400 to 900°C for Incoloy 800. The extent of the attack was determined by measuring the scale thickness and the penetration depth on cross-sections of samples taken from several zones of the tubes. X-ray diffraction and S.E.M. X-ray microanalysis techniques were used.     

An investigation into the effects of a nano-thick gold interlayer on polypyrrole coatings on 316L stainless steel for the bipolar plates of PEM fuel cells

Polypyrrole is one of the most important conductive polymers because it is easily oxidized, water soluble and commercially available. Also, polypyrrole coatings have potential applications in batteries, fuel cells, electrochemical sensors, anti-corrosion coatings and drug delivery systems. In this study, a very thin gold layer was first coated on SS316L, and then a polypyrrole coating was laid on top. The nucleation and growth mechanisms of polypyrrole on the gold-coated SS316L were studied by electrochemical nucleation and growth techniques. SEM was used to characterize the polypyrrole coating morphology. Potentiodynamic tests were performed to determine the corrosion parameters of the polypyrrole coatings. Potentiostatic tests of the coated SS316L were conducted in simulated anode and cathode environments of a PEM fuel cell. The simulated anode environment was at a potential of about −0.1 V versus SCE purged with H₂ and the simulated cathode environment was at a potential of about 0.6 V versus SCE purged with O₂. After coating with Au and polypyrrole, the polarization resistance of SS316L is increased about six times, and the corrosion current density is decreased about seven times, compared to the base SS316L. Also, our calculations show that the metal ion concentration in solution for the polypyrrole/Au/SS316L had met the target of 10 ppm after 5000 h fuel cell operation.     

Corrosion inhibition of methanol towards stainless steel bipolar plate for direct formic acid fuel cell

The corrosion properties of AISI316L stainless steel (316 L SS) as bipolar plates are investigated under aqueous acid methanol solutions (0.05 M H₂SO₄ + 2 ppm HF + 10 M HCOOH + x M CH₃OH (x = 0, 3, 6 and 9) solutions at 70 °C) to simulate the varied anodic operating conditions of direct formic acid fuel cells (DFAFCs). When the methanol content is higher, the potentiodynamic, potentiostatic polarisation and EIS tests of the 316 L SS bipolar plates all show excellent corrosion resistance. The surface morphology and the glow discharge mass spectrometer (GDMS) illustrate that the surface corrosion on 316 L SS bipolar plates is slowed down when the methanol concentration is increased. These results indicate the methanol plays the role in retarding the corrosion rate of the 316 L SS in simulated DFAFCs anodic operating conditions by restricting the proton conductivity in the test solutions. The sample tested in higher content methanol solution has smoother corroded surface and thinner passivation film, which contributes to a lower interfacial contact resistances (ICR) value.     

Electrodeposition of conductive PAMT/PPY bilayer composite coatings on 316L stainless steel plate for PEMFC application

Stainless steel fulfills most of the requirements as bipolar plates in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell. However, it undergoes severe corrosion in fuel cell operating condition. This can be resolved by coating the stainless steel with corrosion resistive conducting polymers. In this study, homogeneous and adherent conductive Poly(2-amino-5-mercapto-1,3,4- thiadiazole)/Polypyrrole (PAMT/PPY) mono and bilayer polymer composite coatings are electrosynthesized on 316L SS in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ by cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry. The hydrophobicity and surface morphology of the coatings are analyzed by contact angle and scanning electron microscopy respectively. The polymer coatings are evaluated in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ medium by potentiodynamic polarization and impedance techniques at 25 °C. The polarization results reveal that PAMT on PPY composite coating shifts the E_corr of the 316L SS towards noble direction. The EIS study reveals that the R_f value of PAMT on PPY coating is significantly higher by three orders (x10³ Ωcm²) of magnitude than uncoated 316L SS. The corrosion performance of the coatings in simulated PEMFC environment is investigated by potentiodynamic and potentiostatic studies. Results show that the PAMT on PPY and PPY on PAMT bilayer coatings are stable and increased the corrosion potential by about 410–470 mV and 275–310 mV (SCE) in simulated cathodic and anodic conditions respectively. This investigation reports that the PAMT on PPY bilayer coating is serving as a good physical barrier and protecting the 316L SS against corrosion in PEMFC environment.     

Anticorrosion properties of Ta-coated 316L stainless steel as bipolar plate material in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

In order to reduce the cost, volume and weight of the bipolar plates used in the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), more attention is being paid to metallic materials, among which 316L stainless steel (SS316L) is quite attractive. In this study, metallic Ta is deposited on SS316L using physical vapor deposition (PVD) to enhance the corrosion resistance of the bipolar plates. Simulative working environment of PEMFC is applied for testing the corrosion property of uncoated and Ta-coated SS316L. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electrochemical methods (potentiodynamic and potentiostatic polarization) are also used for analyzing characteristics of uncoated and Ta-coated SS316L. Results show that, Ta-coated SS316L has significantly better anticorrosion property than that of uncoated SS316L, with corrosion current densities of uncoated SS316L being 44.61 μA cm⁻² versus 9.25 μA cm⁻² for Ta-coated SS316L, a decrease of about 5 times. Moreover, corrosion current densities of Ta-coated SS316L in both simulative anode (purged with H₂) and cathode (purged with air) conditions are smaller than those of uncoated SS316L.     

Corrosion characteristics and fuel cell performance of a cost-effective high Mn–Low Ni austenitic stainless steel as an alternative to SS 316L bipolar plate

In this study, newly developed high manganese (Mn) and low nickel (Ni) austenitic stainless steels were investigated as an alternative to conventionally used SS 316L for bipolar plate applications in proton exchange membrane fuel cells. Systematic studies on the corrosion behavior were carried out in simulated hydrogen and oxygen environments, for both half- and fuel-cell conditions. The Mn-based SS revealed nobler corrosion potential and comparable passive current densities to that of SS 316L. The passive current density of Mn-based SS is well within the DoE 2020 target of <1 μA cm⁻². Though MnSS1 steel has lean Ni content, the addition of Mn and N is beneficial for improving the corrosion performance, which is comparable to SS 316L. The recorded ICR values for Mn SS1 and SS 316L are 234.6 ± 20 and 155 ± 20 mΩ cm² at a compaction force of 140 N cm⁻², respectively. Both the steels do not to meet the DoE ICR target of 10 mΩ cm², which requires conductive coating or improvement in oxide conductivity. The performances of the steels (both Mn-SS and 316L SS) with varying thickness were also investigated in a single fuel cell condition with serpentine flow field design as bipolar plates with varying thickness (10, 5 and 2 mm). A maximum power density of 370 mW cm⁻² was achieved with the Mn-based metallic bipolar plates, whereas SS 316L showed 354 mW cm⁻². By changing the composition of austenitic stainless steel, that is, using Mn SS1 instead of SS 316L the overall fuel cell cost decreases by three times.     

Electrochemical and hydrogen evolution behaviour of a novel nano-cobalt/nano-chitosan composite coating on a surgical 316L stainless steel alloy as an implant

Herein, nanocomposite coatings consisting of chitosan (CSNPs) and cobalt nanoparticles (CoNPs) were deposited on bare 316L stainless steel alloy (316L SS) as a bone implant. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) were applied to characterize the morphological and chemical composition of the tested nanocoatings. In-vitro degradation and hydrogen evolution behaviour of the coated samples were examined by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization techniques, in Hank's solution containing of 1 × 10^?3 M calcium hydrogen phosphate drug at pH 7.4 and temperature 37 °C. This drug used as an inhibitor for protecting the alloy surface from the corrosive medium and minimized the hydrogen evolution rate. Results showed that the di-phasic coating (CoNPs-CSNPs) gave the highest electrochemical corrosion resistance with the lowest hydrogen evolution rate in comparison to the monophasic coatings (CS-NPs & Co-NPs). These corrosion results suggested that a CoNPs-CSNPs nanocomposite coating on 316L SS was effective for renewable or functional implants.     

An investigation into nickel implanted 316L stainless steel as a bipolar plate for PEM fuel cell

A nickel-rich layer about 100 μm in thickness with improved conductivity was formed on the surface of austenitic stainless steel 316L (SS316L) by ion implantation. The effect of ion implantation on the corrosion behavior of SS316L was investigated in 0.5 M H₂SO₄ with 2 ppm HF solution at 80 °C by potentiodynamic test. In order to investigate the chemical stability of the ion implanted SS316L, the potentiostatic test was conducted in an accelerated cathode environment and the solutions after the potentiostatic test were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES). The results of potentiodynamic test show that the corrosion potential of SS316L is shifted toward the positive direction from −0.3 V versus SCE to −0.05 V versus SCE in anode environment and the passivation current density at 0.6 V is reduced from 11.26 to 7.00 μA cm⁻² in the cathode environment with an ion implantation dose of 3 × 10¹⁷ ions cm⁻². The potentiostatic test results indicate that the nickel implanted SS316L has higher chemical stability in the accelerated cathode environment than the bare SS316L, due to the increased amount of metallic Ni in the passive layer. The ICP results are in agreement with the electrochemical test results that the bare SS316L has the highest dissolution rate in both cathode and anode environments and the Ni implantation markedly reduces the dissolution rate. A significant improvement of interfacial contact resistance (ICR) is achieved for the SS316L implanted with nickel as compared to the bare SS316L, which is attributed to the reduction in passive layer thickness caused by the nickel implantation. The ICR values for implanted specimens increase with increasing dose.     

Surface and corrosion properties of modified passive layer on 304 stainless steel as bipolar plates for PEMFCs

In this study, the relation between surface chemistry and corrosion properties of modified 304 stainless steels (304SS) was investigated. 304SS samples were submitted to plasma nitriding performed at two different temperatures: 420 °C (low) and 520 °C (high). Then, a thermo reactive deposition (TRD) was used in a mixture of ferro niobium, alumina and ammonium chloride. Finally, a pickling treatment was performed to access high corrosion resistant surfaces. Surface treated samples, both before and after pickling, were investigated by using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Potentiodynamic (PD) techniques. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was performed for the analysis of the surface layers of the samples after pickling.The surface layers were mostly comprised of iron and chromium oxides and hydroxides. XPS results proved the presence of a surface layer mostly constituted by iron oxides and oxyhydroxides for both the treated samples that resulted more homogenous for the sample nitrided at low temperature. Chromium was detected by XPS in the predominant form of oxide on the surface of the sample nitrided at low temperature.