Determination of formability characteristics of Crofer 22 APU sheets as interconnector for solid oxide fuel cells

In this study, the general formability characteristics of Crofer^® 22 APU sheets of different thicknesses (0.2 mm–1.0 mm) are experimentally investigated via tensile, out of plane, Erichsen, cupping and springback tests for a possible application for solid oxide fuel cells in sheet form unlike the conventional bulk form. Holloman equation is also used to fit the experimental stress-strain curves and the anisotropic behavior of the material is considered by determining Lankford parameters. The tensile test results show that the formability is about 0.29 mm/mm for 0.2 mm thick sheets, indicating the suitability of these sheets for the fabrication of interconnectors by a stamping process with desired channel geometry having dimensions similar to conventional channel dimensions. In addition, for a specific combination of process parameters such as blank holder force and lubrication, the formability can be enhanced as proven by Erichsen and cupping test results. Moreover, the formability is found to increase with increasing the sheet thickness and highly anisotropic behavior is observed. In three point bending tests, the negative springback behavior, namely spring-in, is surprisingly observed for a relatively narrow shoulder distance at all thicknesses and set angle values (θ = 90°–120°).