Conductive and corrosion behaviors of silver-doped carbon-coated stainless steel as PEMFC bipolar plates

Ni–Cr enrichment on stainless steel SS316 L resulting from chemical activation enabled the deposition of carbon by spraying a stable suspension of carbon nanoparticles; trace Ag was deposited in situ to prepare a thin continuous Ag-doped carbon film on a porous carbon-coated SS316 L substrate. The corrosion resistance of this film in 0.5 mol·L^（-1） H_2SO_4 solution containing 5 ppm F- at 80°C was investigated using polarization tests. The results showed that the surface treatment of the SS316 L strongly affected the adhesion of the carbon coating to the stainless steel. Compared to the bare SS316 L, the Ag-doped carbon-coated SS316 L bipolar plate was remarkably more stable in both the anode and cathode environments of proton exchange membrane fuel cell（PEMFC） and the interface contact resistance between the specimen and Toray 060 carbon paper was reduced from 333.0 m？·cm^2 to 21.6 m？·cm^2 at a compaction pressure of 1.2 MPa.

Overview of stainless-steel clad-plate welding

Types of bimetal clad plate, manufacturing methods, and their fields of application were summarized. In particular,key aspects of the welding of clad-rolled stainless steel were described, including the weldability of the base and clad metals, design criteria for the transition layer, the selection of the type of welding process and consumables used, types of blanking and welding bevels, preparation and assembly prior to welding, welding procedure requirements, post-weld cleaning and heat treatment, and welding quality inspection. This paper will serve as a reference for the welding technology used in future consumer applications in related fields.

Performance analysis of the SAW joint of duplex stainless steel clad plate

Duplex stainless steel clad plate exhibits good performance and is relatively inexpensive,however,some difficulties must be overcome when welding different materials. In this study,submerged arc welding（ SAW） was used to weld Baosteel ship clad plates（ 2205 ＋ DH36）,and the performance of the welded joints was tested. The results indicate that the mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance of the welded joints meet the required specifications. The distribution of the main anti-corrosive elements and the phase ratio of the welded joint are analyzed,thereby indicating excellent uniformity and confirming that the welded joint is corrosion resistant.

Gas metal arc welding of duplex stainless clad steel plates

The 2205 duplex stainless ＋ DH36 clad steel plate was welded by gas metal arc welding（GMAW）, and the welding performance of the clad steel plate was investigated. The results show that the adaptability of the welding procedure for the base metal of carbon steel, the transition layer, and the cladding material is excellent. The test results indicate that the phase proportion and component dilution of the GMAW-welded joints of clad steel plate can be effectively controlled to yield joints with good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance.

Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coated 316L stainless steel by arc ion plating as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Arc ion plating (AIP) is applied to form Ti/(Ti,Cr)N/CrN multilayer coating on the surface of 316L stainless steel (SS316L) as bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). The characterizations of the coating are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interfacial contact resistance (ICR) between the coated sample and carbon paper is 4.9 m Omega cm(2) under 150 N/cm(2), which is much lower than that of the SS316L substrate. Potentiodynamic and potentiostatic tests are performed in the simulated PEMFC working conditions to investigate the corrosion behaviors of the coated sample. Superior anticorrosion performance is observed for the coated sample, whose corrosion current density is 0.12 mu A/cm(2). Surface morphology results after corrosion tests indicate that the substrate is well protected by the multilayer coating. Performances of the single cell with the multilayer coated SS316L bipolar plate are improved significantly compared with that of the cell with the uncoated SS316L bipolar plate, presenting a great potential for PEMFC application. (C) 2016 Science Press and Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press. All rights reserved.

Effect of interface morphology on the mechanical properties of titanium clad steel plates

Interface morphology has important influence on the bond quality of titanium clad steel plates. The mechanical properties of titanium clad steel plates with wavy and straight interfaces were investigated by tensile-shear tests and bending tests. The interface morphology of the plates was examined by optical microscopy （OM） and scanning electron microscopy （SEM）. The experimental results show that the shear strength of a wavy interface is higher than that of a straight interface. A wavy interface is the guarantee for obtaining high shear strength to provide a greater shear resistance. During the maerobending process, cracks appear in the swirl of the wave tip and ferrotitanium intermetallies. For in-situ observing the bending process by SEM, the wave tip of a wavy interface and the massive ferrotitartium intermetallies of a straight interface are places where cracks initiate and propagate. The results are the same as those observed in the macrobending process. Became of high hardness, the wave tip and the massive ferrotitanium intermetallies are hard in terms of compatible deformation.

Process and challenges of stainless steel based bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell(PEMFC)powered automobiles have been recognized to be the ultimate solution to replace traditional fuel automobiles because of their advantages of PEMFCs such as no pollution,low temperature start-up,high energy density,and low noise.As one of the core components,the bipolar plates(BPs)play an important role in the PEMFC stack.Traditional graphite BPs and composite BPs have been criticized for their shortcomings such as low strength,high brittleness,and high processing cost.In contrast,stainless steel BPs(SSBPs)have recently attracted much attention of domestic and foreign researchers because of their excellent comprehensive performance,low cost,and diverse options for automobile applications.However,the SSBPs are prone to corrosion and passivation in the PEMFC working environment,which lead to reduced output power or premature failure.This review is aimed to summarize the corrosion and passivation mechanisms,characterizations and evaluation,and the surface modification technologies in the current SSBPs research.The non-coating and coating technical routes of SSBPs are demonstrated,such as substrate component regulation,thermal nitriding,electroplating,ion plating,chemical vapor deposition,and physical vapor deposition,etc.Alternative coating materials for SSBPs are metal coatings,metal nitride coatings,conductive polymer coatings,and polymer/carbon coatings,etc.Both the surface modification technologies can solve the corrosion resistance problem of stainless steel without affecting the contact resistance,however still facing restraints such as long-time stability,feasibility of low-cost,and mass production process.This paper is believed to enrich the knowledge of high-performance and long-life BPs applied for PEMFC automobiles.

Microstructure,strength and welding window of aluminum alloy-stainless steel explosive cladding with different interlayers

Aluminum 5052(Al 5052)-stainless steel 316(SS 316)plates were explosively cladded with Al 1100,pure copper and SS 304 interlayers.The operational parameters viz.,standoff distance,explosive mass ratio(mass ratio of the explosive to the flyer plate)and inclination angle were varied and the results were presented.The advent of interlayer relocates the lower boundary of the welding window,and enhances the welding regime by 40%.A triaxial welding window,considering the influence of the third operational parameter,was developed as well.Use of interlayer transforms the continuous molten layer formed in the traditional Al 5052-SS 316 explosive clad interfaces into a smooth interface devoid or with a slender presence of intermetallic compounds.The microhardness,ram tensile and shear strengths of the interlayered clads are higher than those of the traditional explosive clads,and the maximum values are witnessed for stainless steel interlaced Al 5052-SS 316 explosive clads.

Surface Ferrite Grain Refinement and Mechanical Properties of Low Carbon Steel Plates

Considering the specialities of the steel plate production, the TMCP study has been carried out with Gleeble 2000 tester to explore the possibility of fine grained ferrite in the low carbon steel plates with the chemical composition of C 0.13--0.18, Si 0.12-0.18, Mn 0.50-0. 65, P 0. 010-0. 025, and S 0. 005-0. 028. The plates with thickness of 8. 7 mm in which the ferrite grain size is smaller than 8μm have been produced by special de- formation process in the laboratory. Furthermore, the trial production of special plain carbon steel plates of 16-25 mm in thickness and 2 000- 2 800 mm in width with fine grained ferrite has been successfully carried out in the Shougang Steel Plate Rolling Plant. The ferrite grain size is 5.5-7μm in the surface layers and 9.5-15μm in the central layer respectively. The yield strength is 320- 360 MPa, tensile strength is 440-520 MPa and the elongation is 25%- 34 %. It is very important for the rolling plants to improve the low carbon steel plates＇ mechanical properties. The results show that the ferrite grains in the surface layer can be refined effectively by the appropriate rolling process, and the strength can be also increased.

Electrochemical Behavior of Niobium Electrodeposited 316 Stainless Steel Bipolar Plate for PEMFC in Choline Chloride Based Ionic Liquids

Niobium was electrodeposited on 316 stainless steel bipolar plates of a fuel cell in water and air-stable choline chloride based ionic liquids. The electrochemical corruption property of bipolar plates in simulated PEMFC environment was investigated. It was showed that the plating film was distributed on the surface of 316 stainless steel like isolated islands with height less than 50 nm. The XPS, XRD results showed that a smooth and strong chemical inert film of Nb O and Nb2O5 was formed on the surface of 316 stainless steel. In simulated cathodic condition, the corrosion potential of Nb coated stainless steel was improved by 244 m V, whilst in an anodic condition, it was improved by 105 m V. The current densities for the coated 316 stainless steel were decreased to 2.479 4 μA·cm-2 from 14.810 μA·cm-2 at-0.1 V and to 0.576 μA·cm-2 from 13.417 μA/·cm-2 at 0.6 V, respectively. It was implied that the niobium coating effectively decreased the corrosion rate. The results of the electrochemical tests indicated that the corrosion resistance of stainless steel was greatly improved after coated with niobium.

Studies of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films deposited on stainless steel substrate with Si/SiC intermediate layers

In this work, diamond-like carbon （DLC） films were deposited on stainless steel substrates with Si/SiC intermediate layers by combining plasma enhanced sputtering physical vapour deposition （PEUMS-PVD） and microwave electron cyclotron resonance plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition （MW-ECRPECVD） techniques. The influence of substrate negative self-bias voltage and Si target power on the structure and nano-mechanical behaviour of the DLC films were investigated by Raman spectroscopy, nano-indentation, and the film structural morphology by atomic force microscopy （AFM）. With the increase of deposition bias voltage, the G band shifted to higher wave-number and the integrated intensity ratio ID/IG increased. We considered these as evidences for the development of graphitization in the films. As the substrate negative self-bias voltage increased, particle bombardment function was enhanced and the sp^3-bond carbon density reducing, resulted in the peak values of hardness （H） and elastic modulus （E）. Silicon addition promoted the formation of sp^3 bonding and reduced the hardness. The incorporated Si atoms substituted sp^2- bond carbon atoms in ring structures, which promoted the formation of sp^3-bond. The structural transition from C-C to C-Si bonds resulted in relaxation of the residual stress which led to the decrease of internal stress and hardness. The results of AFM indicated that the films was dense and homogeneous, the roughness of the films was decreased due to the increase of substrate negative self-bias voltage and the Si target power.

Experimental investigation of erosion rate for gas-solid two-phase flow in 304 stainless/L245 carbon steel

Erosion is one of the most concerning issues in pipeline flow assurance for the Oil&Gas pipeline industries,which can easily lead to wall thinning,perforation leakage,and other crucial safety risks to the steady operation of pipelines.In this research,a novel experimental device is designed to investigate the erosion characteristics of 304 stainless and L245 carbon steel in the gas-solid two-phase flow.Regarding the impacts on erosion rate,the typical factors such as gas velocity,impact angle,erosion time,particle material and target material are individually observed and comprehensive analyzed with the assistance of apparent morphology characterized via Scanning Electron Microscope.Experimental results show that the severest erosion occurs when the angle reaches approximate 30°whether eroded by type I or type II particles,which is observed in both two types of steel.Concretely,304 stainless steel and L245 carbon steel appear to be cut at low angles,and impacted at high angles to form erosion pits.In the steady operational state,the erosion rate is insensitive to the short erosion time and free from the influences caused by the“erosion latent period”.Based on the comparison between experimental data and numerical results generated by existing erosion models,a modified model with low tolerance(<3%),high feasibility and strong consistency is proposed to make an accurate prediction of the erosion in terms of two types of steel under various industrial conditions.

Surface stability and conductivity of a high Cr and Ni austenitic stainless steel plates for PEMFC

In order to use stainless steel as bipolar plate for PEMFC, electrochemical behavior of a high Cr and Ni austenitic stainless steel was studied in the solutions containing different concentration of H2SO4 and 2 mg·L-1 F-, and interfacial contact resistance was measured after corrosion tests. The experimental results show that the passive current density lowers with decreasing the concentration of H2SO4. The interfacial contact resistance between carbon paper and passive film formed in the simulated PEMFC environment is higher than the goal of bipolar plate for PEMFC. Surface conductivity should be further reduced by surface modification.

Microstructure and corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel electroslag strip cladding

The 304 stainless steel strips were deposited one layer on carbon steel base metal by electroslag strip cladding （ESC） and submerged arc cladding （SAC）, respectively. The solidification microstrueture of ESC metal was analyzed by the optical microscopy, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectroscopy. The corrosion resistance studies of strip cladding metals were carried out in 10% oxalic acid electrolytic etching test. The results showed that the cladding metal obtained by ESC presented low content of C, high content of Cr and enough alloying element of Ni in the chemical composition. The transition zone of ESC with small width was almost parallel with the base metal, leading to a lower dilution. There are three types of solidification modes （ A→AF→FA ） occurred in the ESC metal due to the decrease of cooling rate and degree of dilution from the transition zone to the top of ESC metal. As a result, the microstructure of ESC metal exhibited mainly austenite with a small amount of ferrite, contributing to achievement of better corrosion resistance.

Development of SA-533 Type B CL. 1+SA-240 Type 304L roll-bonded clad steel plate for safety injection tank of CAP1400 nuclear power plant

Aiming to meet the demand of the country＇ s nuclear demonstration project on the CAP1400 nuclear power plant, Baosteel uses the roll-bonding technology and develops the SA-533 Type B CL. 1 ＋ SA-240 Type 304L high-strength and high-toughness clad steel plate with a shear strength of over 310 MPa for the nuclear power plant＇ s safety injection tank. The properties of the quenched and tempered and the simulated post-weld heat treatment states are systematically studied herein through a comprehensive inspection and evaluation of the composition,microstructure,and properties of the clad steel plate. The results show that the bonding interface has high shear strength and that the base metal has high strength and good toughness at low temperatures. Hence, the performance fully meets the technical requirements of the CAP1400 nuclear power plant＇ s safety injection tank in the country＇ s nuclear demonstration project. The roll-bonded clad steel plate can be used to manufacture the safety injection tank of the CAP1400 nuclear power plant.

Microstructure and properties of S30403+Q345R roll-bonded clad steel plate for pressure vessels

To meet the demand of the domestic pressure vessel industry for roll-bonded clad steel plates, Baosteel has developed an S30403 ＋ Q345R roll-bonded clad steel plate. Comprehensive inspections of the composition, microstructure, and properties are made to systematically evaluate the steel plate in the normalized and normalized ＋ stress relieved states. The results show the cladding interface of the S30403 ＋ Q345R roll-bonded clad steel plate has high shear strength, the base metal has good properties, and the mechanical properties of the steel plate head and tail are uniform. The performance is fully consistent with the technical requirements of the roll-bonded clad steel plate for pressure vessels.

Effect of stabilizing elements Nb and Ti on the microstructure and properties of low carbon ferritic stainless steel

The effect of stabilizing elements, such as Nb and Ti, on the microstructure and properties of low carbon ferritic stainless steel （FSS） has been investigated. The results of the Thermo-calc simulation have shown that the interstitial elements, such as C and N, may be completely stabilized by the addition of Nb and Ti. With the increase of Nb and Ti contents ,the α ＋ γ two phases gradually transfer to a single α-phase under a high temperature condition ,and the content of the carbide M23 C6 gradually decreases. The microstructure has indicated that the combined addition of Nb and Ti can promote the recrystallization of the band structure and form more uniform equiaxed grains. Also, with the increase of Nb and Ti contents,the elongation, the r-value and the corrosion resistance of cold-rolled and annealed sheets are improved prominently. In comparison with the effect of Ti ,the addition of Nb is more beneficial to the increase of r-value and the corrosion resistance.

Study on the interface of direct hot rolling titanium-clad steel plates

In this study,the interface characteristics of a direct hot rolling titanium-clad steel plate were analyzed, and the mechanism of interface cracking was explored. The detrimental effect from the formation of TiFe ,TiC,and a Si-enriched layer on the bonding strength was clarified, and an industrial-scaled titanium-clad steel plate with shear strength over 200 MPa was produced with a carefully set schedule accordingly. It was found that hot rolling titanium-clad steel plates had a flat interface without obvious cracks. In the rolling process,both Ti and Fe atoms interdiflhsed,but Fe difthsed much faster than Ti. The Fe-diffused area consisted of three regions. After a high temperature heat treatment, the diffusion depth of Fe and Ti elements increased significantly and evident Si segregation and TiFe layers were identified. Thermal cracking initiated in the Si segregation layer and then propagated along the TiFe layer and Fe-diffused layer on the titanium side.

Plain carbon steel bipolar plates for PEMFC

Bipolar plates are a multifunctional component of PEMFC. Comparing with the machined graphite and stainless steels, the plain carbon steel is a very cheap commercial metal material. In this paper, the possibility of applying the plain carbon steels in the bipolar plate for PEMFC was exploited. In order to improve the corrosion resistance of the low carbon steel in the PEMFCs′ environments, two surface modification processes was developed and then the electrochemical performances and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) of the surface modified plate of plain carbon steel were investigated. The results show that the surface modified steel plates have good corrosion resistance and relatively low contact resistance, and it may be a candidate material as bipolar plate of PEMFC.

Electrochemical Investigation of Corrosion on AISI 316 Stainless Steel and AISI 1010 Carbon Steel: Study of the Behaviour of Imidazole and Benzimidazole as Corrosion Inhibitors

An electrochemical investigation of the corrosion on AISI 316 austenitic stainless steel and AISI 1010 carbon steel in sodium chloride solution (3.0 wt.%) was performed in the absence and presence of imidazole and benzimidazole corrosion inhibitors. The results showed that at any inhibitor concentration (25 ppm to 1000 ppm), there was an increase in the polarisation resistance of both steels. The highest efficiency of corrosion inhibition was obtained using imidazole at a concentration of 50 ppm for both steels, with values of 96% for the AISI 316 stainless steel and 73% for the AISI 1010 carbon steel.