Comparative review of corrosion-resistant coatings on metal bipolar plates of proton exchange membrane fuel cells

In the realm of proton exchange membrane fuel cells(PEMFCs),the bipolar plates(BPs)are indispensable and serve pivotal roles in distributing reactant gases,collecting current,facilitating product water removal,and cooling the stack.Metal BPs,characterized by outstanding manufacturability,cost-effectiveness,higher power density,and mechanical strength,are emerging as viable alternatives to traditional graphite BPs.The foremost challenge for metal BPs lies in enhancing their corrosion resistance and conductivity under acidic conditions,necessitating the application of various coatings on their surfaces to ensure superior performance.This review summarizes and compares recent advancements in the research of eight distinct types of coatings for BPs in PEMFCs,including noble metal,carbide,ni-tride,and amorphous carbon(a-C)/metal compound composite coatings.The various challenges encountered in the manufacturing and fu-ture application of these coatings are also delineated.

Study on the application of optical interferometry in the measurement of the coating thickness of color-coated plates

The principle and application of optical interferometry to measure the coating thickness of color-coated plates were introduced in this paper.Additionally,several factors affecting the test results,including coating refractive index,wavelength range,and film thickness range setting,were analyzed.Among these,the refractive index of the color coating,which cannot be measured directly,was identified as the key factor.A solution to this problem was proposed.Finally,the optical interference method and the current detection methods,including the micrometer method and the magnetic eddy current method,were analyzed and compared.The results show that optical interferometry has better repeatability and reproducibility than the current methods and show no significant difference from the current methods through statistical tests.Therefore,the method can be applied to the detection of the coating thickness of color-coated plates.

Evaluation of residual stress and corrosion behaviour of electroless plated Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings

Single Ni-P and Ni-Mo-P coatings as well as duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings with the same compositions were prepared by electroless plating.The residual stresses of the coatings on the surface and cross sections were measured by nanoindentation and AFM analysis,and the corrosion behaviour of the coatings in10%HCl solution was evaluated by electrochemical methods,to establish the correlation between the residual stresses and corrosion behaviour of the coatings.The results showed that the single Ni-P and duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings presented residual compressive stresses of241and206MPa respectively,while the single Ni-Mo-P coating exhibited a residual tensile stress of257MPa.The residual compressive stress impeded the growth of the pre-existing porosity in the coatings,protecting the integrity of the coating.The duplex Ni-P/Ni-Mo-P coatings had better corrosion resistance than their respective single coating.In addition,the stress states affect the corrosive form of coatings.

Properties and strengthening mechanism of brush plated nanoparticle reinforced composite coatings

Nanoparticle reinforced nickel matrix composite coatings, such as n-Al2O3/Ni, n-SiO2/Ni, n-SiC/Ni and n-TiO2/Ni, were fabricated by brush plating technique. Hardness, wear resistance and contact-fatigue resistance of the composite coatings were determined, and strengthening mechanism of the composite coatings was discussed. Results show that the composite coatings have superior properties to the Ni metal coating. Compared with properties of brush plated Ni metal coating, the composite coatings have hardness over 1.5 times and wear resistance capability of about 2.5 times. The strengthening mechanism of the composite coatings mainly includes fine-crystal grain effect, nanoparticle dispersion effect and dislocation effect.

High-temperature tribological properties of Ni-P alloy coatings deposited by electro-brush plating

High-temperature tribological properties of Ni-P alloy coatings processed by electro-brush plating on 20CrMo steel have been investigated. A baU-on-disc configuration was employed and 4 mm diameter Si3N4 balls were used as static counterpart. All the wear tests were carried out at 450℃ for 180 rain without lubricants. The electro-brush plating Ni-P coating is amorphous in as-deposited condition, and it becomes polycrystalline with the formation of Ni and Ni3P after heat treatment at 450℃for 1 h. The friction coefficient of the Ni-P coating is just 50% of that of the 20CrMo steel at the friction temperature of 450℃. A mild adhesive wear mechanism was found for the electro-brush plating Ni-P coating tested at 450℃, whereas for the 20CrMo steel at the same temperature a mixed adhesive and abrasive wear mechanism was observed.

Evaluation of effectiveness of polymer coatings in reducing blastinduced deformation of steel plates

Incorporating elastomers such as polymers in protective structures to withstand high energetic dynamic loads,has gained significant interest.The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of a Polyurea coating towards the blast-induced response in steel plates.As such,Polyurea coated steel plates were tested under near-field blast loads,produced by the detonation of 1 kg of spherical nitromethane charges,at a standoff distance of 150 mm.Mild steel(XLERPLATE 350)and high-strength steel(BIS80)plates with thicknesses of 10 mm were Polyurea coated with thicknesses of 6 mm and 12 mm on either the front(facing the charge)or the back face.The deformation profiles were measured using 3D scanning.Numerical simulations were performed using the non-linear finite element code LS-DYNA.The strain-dependent behaviour of the steel and Polyurea were represented by Johnson-cook and Money-Rivlin constitutive models,respectively.The numerical models were validated by comparing the plate deflection results obtained from the experiments and were then used in the subsequent parametric study to investigate the optimum thickness of the Polyurea coating.The results indicate that back face coating contributes towards an approximately 20%reduction in the residual deformation as well as the absence of melting of the Polyurea layer,while the front-face coating can be used a means of providing additional standoff distance to the steel plates.

IMPROVEMENT OF ADHESION BETWEEN ION PLATED TiN COATING AND BASE METAL BY ADDING Y

The adhesion between the ion plated TiN coating and the base metal is improved by adding Y.The machenism of the effect of Y has been discussed as well.

Friction and Wear Performances of Cathodic Arc Ion Plated TiAlSiN Coating under Oil Lubricated Condition

TiAlSiN coating was deposited on H13 hot work mould steel using cathodic arc ion plating（CAIP）. The surface-interface morphologies and phases of the obtained coating were analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy（FESEM） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）, respectively, and the morphologies, distributions of chemical elements and profiles of worn tracks were also researched using scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, energy disperse spectroscopy（EDS）, and optical microscope（OM）, respectively. The friction-wear performances of TiAlSiN coating under oil lubricated and dry fiction conditions were investigated, and the wear mechanisms of TiAlSiN coating were discussed. The experimental results show that the coating is primarily composed of（Ti, Al）N, AlTiN, and TiN hard phases, Si_3N_4 exists between the（Ti, Al）N crystal grains, increasing the coating microhardness to 3200 HV. The TiAlSiN coating has excellent performances of reducing friction and wear resistance, the average coefficient of friction（COF） of TiAlSiN coating under oil lubricated condition is only 0.05, lowered than the average COF of 0.211 under dry friction condition, the wear rate decreases by about 81.2% compared with that under dry friction condition. The wear mechanism of TiAlSiN coating under oil lubricated and dry friction conditions is composed of abrasive wear, fatigue wear, and abrasive wear, respectively. The internal friction of oil lubrication is a main factor of decreasing fatigue wear.

Effect of Rare Earths on the Quality of Brush-plated Coating

The effect of rare earth(RE) additives on the quality of brush plated coating was studied by adding RE into brush plating solution. The results show that RE make the surface smooth and shiny, reduce residual stress within the coating and reinforced bond, and increase the wearability and corrosion resistance.

Corrosion Test of the Steel Plate in a WJ-8 Fastener for High Speed Rail

It was found that the steel plate in the composite plate in the WJ-8 fastener used in high speed rail is rusty. The objective of this study is to test the zinc coating of the steel plate. A literature review was conducted to identify the zinc coating techniques, and the companies that can provide different coating service was identified. A salt fog chamber was built that was in compliance with the ANSI B117 code, and the steel plates that were coated by the identified companies were tested using the salt fog chamber. The results indicated that the coating technique that had the best performance in preventing corrosion was the Greenkote plates with passivation. The galvanized option had the roughest coating layer, and it was the most reactive in the salt water solution. This makes it non-ideal for the dynamic rail environment because the increased friction of the plate could damage the supports, especially during extreme temperatures that would cause the rail to expand or contract. Greenkote with Phosphate and ArmorGalv also provided increased corrosion prevention with a smooth, strong finish, but it had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote with ELU passivation. The ArmorGalv sample had more rust on the surface area than the Greenkote samples. This may not be a weakness in the ArmorGalv process;rather, it likely was the result of this particular sample not having the added protection of a colored coating.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings deposited by arc ion plating with separate targets

TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings were prepared by arc ion plating with separate targets. In order to decrease the unfavorable macroparticles, a straight magnetized filter was used for the low melting aluminium target. The results show that the output plasmas of titanium target without filter and aluminium target with filter reach the substrate with the same order of magnitude. Meanwhile, the number of macropartieles in TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings deposited with separate targets is only 1/10-1/3 of that deposited with alloy target reported in literature. Al atom addition may lead to the decrease of peak at （200） lattice plane and strengthening of peak at （111） and （220） lattice planes. The measured hardness of TiN/TiAlN multilayer coatings accords with the mixture principle and the maximum hardness is HV2495. The adhesion strength reaches 75 N.

Preparation and tribological performances of Ni-P-multi-walled carbon nanotubes composite coatings

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes （MWNTs） were wet-milled in the presence of ammonia and cationic surfactant and then used as reinforcements to prepare Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings by electroless plating. The tribological performances of the composite coatings under dry condition were investigated in comparison with 45 steel and conventional Ni-P coating, Micrographs show that short MWNTs with uniform length and open tips were obtained through the wet-milling process. The results of wear test reveal that the Ni-P-MWNTs composite coatings posses much better friction reduction and anti-wear performances when compared with 45 steel and Ni-P coating. Within the MWNTs content range of 0.74%-1.97%, the friction coefficient and the volume wear rate of the composite coatings decrease gradually and reach the minimum values of 0.08 and 6.22x10-15 m3/（N.m）, respectively. The excellent tribological performances of the composite coatings can be attributed to the introduction of MWNTs, which play both roles of reinforcements and solid lubricant during the wear process.

Characteristics of microstructure and performance of laser-treated electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings

Characteristics of microstructures of electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings were investigated using SEM/EDX and XRD analysis techniques. Microhardness and wear behaviour of the coatings before and after laser crystallization were evaluated by measurements of hardnesses of coating surface and cross-section, and by unlubricated friction and wear experiments. The results indicate that it is possible to prepare electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings by sequential immersion in two different plating baths. After laser crystallization, the microstructures of electroless Ni-P/Ni-W-P duplex coatings present the characteristics of higher degree of crystallization and larger grain size for outer layer Ni-W-P than inner Ni-P, but outer layer has a higher hardness. The wear resistance of laser-treated duplex coatings in a given process parameter conditions is superior to the as-plated ones. Laser treatment was performed directly in air without argon protection, which provides the possibility for application of industrialized production.

Electrochemical behavior of mesh and plate oxide coated anodes during zinc electrowinning

The catalytic performance of two oxides coated anodes （OCSs） meshes and one OCA plate was investigated in a zinc electrowinning electrolyte at 38 ℃. Their electrochemical behaviors were compared with that of a conventional Pb-0.7%Ag alloy anode. Electrochemical measurements such as cyclic voltammetric, galvanostatic, potentiodynamic, open-circuit potential （OCP） and in situ electrochemical noise measurements were considered. After 2 h of OCP test, the linear polarization shows that the corrosion current density of the Ti/（IrO2-Ta2O5） mesh electrode is the lowest （3.37μA/cm^2） among the three OCAs and shows excellent performance. Additionally, after 24 h of galvanostatic polarization at 50 mA/cm^2and 38 ℃, the Ti/MnO2mesh anode has the highest potential （1.799 V）, followed by the Ti/（IrO2-Ta2O5） plate （1.775 V） and Ti/（IrO2-Ta2O5） mesh （1.705 V） anodes. After 24 h of galvanostatic polarization followed by 16 h of decay, the linear polarization method confirms the sequence obtained after 2 h of OCP test, and the Ti/（IrO2-Ta2O5） mesh attains the lowest corrosion current density. The Ti/（IrO2-Ta2O5） mesh anode also shows better performance after 24 h of galvanostatic polarization with the overpotential lower than that of the conventional Pb-Ag anode by about 245 mV.

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.

Properties of TiAICrN coatings prepared by vacuum cathodic arc ion plating

TiAlCrN coatings were deposited by means of vacuum cathodic arc ion plating technique on TC 11 （Ti-6.5Al-3.5Mo-1.5Zr-0.3Si） titanium alloy substrates. The composition, phase structure, mechanical performance, and oxidation-resistance of the nivide coatings were investi- gated by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, atomic force microscope （AFM）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, auger electron spectroscopy （AES）, and X-ray photoelectron microscopy （XPS）. A new process for preparing protective coatings of the titanium alloy is successfully ac- quired. The experimental results indicate that the added element chromium in the TiAlN coatings make a contribution to form the （220） pre- ferred direction. The phases of the coatings are composed of （Ti,Al）N and （Ti,Cr）N. After 700~C and 800~C oxidation, AES analysis shows that the diffusion distribution of the TiAlCrN coatings emerges a step shape. From the outside to the inner, the concentrations of O, Al, and Cr reduce, but those of Ti and N increase. The Al-rich oxide is formed on the surface of the coatings, and the mixed structure of Ti-rich and Cr-rich oxides is formed in the internal layer. The oxidation resistance of the TiAlCrN coatings is excellent at the range of 700 to 800~C. Adhesion wear is the dominant mechanical characteristic for the titanium alloy at room temperature, and the protective coatings with high hardness can improve the mechanical properties of the titanium alloy. The wear resistance of the TC 11 alloy is considerably improved by the TiAlCrN coatings.

Structure and wear resistance of TiN and TiAlN coatings on AZ91 alloy deposited by multi-arc ion plating

In order to investigate the microstructure of TiN and TiAlN coatings and their effect on the wear resistance of Mg alloy, TiN and TiAlN coatings were deposited on AZ91 magnesium alloy by multi-arc ion plating technology.TiN and Ti70Al30N coatings were prepared on the substrate,respectively,which exhibited dark golden color and compact microstructure.The microstructures of TiN and Ti70Al30N coatings were investigated by X-ray diffractometry(XRD)and scanning electron microscopy(SEM).The micro-hardness and wear resistance of TiN and Ti70Al30N coatings were investigated in comparison with the uncoated AZ91 alloy. The XRD peaks assigned to TiN and TiAlN phases are found.The hardness of TiN coatings is two times as high as that of AZ91 alloy, and Ti70Al30N coating exhibits the highest hardness.The wear resistance of the hard coatings increases obviously as result of their high hardness.

Corrosion and wettability of PEO coatings on magnesium by addition of potassium stearate

Hydrophobic PEO coatings were fabricated in an electrolyte containing potassium stearate.The wetting behaviour of coated samples was studied using dynamic and static contact angle.Also,the corrosion behaviour of the samples was evaluated by polarization method.The dynamic contact angle and hysteresis of the contact angle for PEO coating were evaluated by Wilhelmy plate method.There was an increase in the contact angle of the nanocomposite and traditional PEO coatings when potassium stearate was added to the electrolyte up to 130°.The more hydrophobic coatings,showed more corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.%NaCl solution.The synergistic effect of potassium stearate and nanoparticles increased the hydrophobicity because of assembling of fatty acid on ceramic powder.

Influence of Si Content on Properties of Ti1-xSixN Coatings

To investigate the evolution of microstructure and wear behavior of TiSiN coatings with the variation of Si in targets and lays the foundation for its controllable mass production, Ti1-xSixN composite coatings were deposited onto Si(100) and cemented carbide substrates using TiSi targets with different Si content by cathodic arc ion plating. The influences of Si on the microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. Nano-amorphous composite structure appeared in the Ti1-xSixN coatings when Si content in TiSi target was higher than 5 at%. However, further increase of Si content in TiSi target exhibited a negligible effect on the microstructure of Ti1-xSixN coatings. Hardness and deformation resistance were correlated to the content of Si in TiSi targets. Maximum hardness was obtained as the Si content in target increased up to 20 at%. Friction coefficient and wear rate significantly decreased with addition of Si in TiN coating, and then dually increased with the increase of Si content in targets.

Microstructures and Key Properties of Mechanically Deposited Zn-Al Coatings

Zn-Al coatings can provide protection to exposed steel parts in most environments. For this reason, the investigation of Zn-Al coatings become very popular in recent years. In order to study the microstructures and properties of mechanically deposited Zn-Al coating, zinc powders and aluminum powders were used to deposit Zn-AI coating by mechanical plating. The microstruetures, phase constitutes and compositions of the coating were observed and analyzed with optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy（SEM）, X-ray diffraction（XRD） and X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy（EDS）. The results of observation show that the coating consists of almost spherically shaped zinc particles point contacting with each other; the coatings are composed of zinc particles, aluminum particles, interstice, and tin; extra fine zinc powders and some smaller interspersed inclusions are positioned in the interstices. Porosity and thickness of the coating were tested by ferroxyl test and magnetic method. The corrosion resistance of coatings was studied by neutral salt spraying test（NSS）, immersion test and electrochemical polarization. It is found that the thickness of the coating dose lacks uniformity, with an uneven thickness distribution and an average variation of approximately 2-5gm; the coating can afford cathodic protection to the steel substrate; the corrosion resistance of Zn-Al coatings is better than that of the mechanically plated zinc coatings with same thickness. These conclusions can be applied to improve anti-corrosion performance by mechanically deposit Zn-Al coatings.