Formation of Protective Nitride Surfaces for PEM Fuel Cell Metallic Bipolar Plates
- ORNL
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
Selective gas nitridation of model Ni-base alloys was used to form dense, electrically-conductive and corrosion-resistant nitride surface layers, including TiN, VN, CrN, Cr2N, as well as a complex NiNbVN phase. Evaluation for use as a protective surface for metallic bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) indicated that CrN/Cr2N base surfaces hold promise to meet Department of Energy (DOE) performance goals for automotive applications. The thermally grown CrN/Cr2N surface formed on model Ni-Cr base alloys exhibited good stability and low electrical resistance in single-cell fuel cell testing under simulated drive-cycle conditions. Recent results indicate that similar protective Cr-nitride surfaces can be formed on less expensive Fe-Cr base alloys potentially capable of meeting DOE cost goals.
- Research Organization:
- Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). High Temperature Materials Lab. (HTML); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Shared Research Equipment Collaborative Research Center
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC05-00OR22725
- OSTI ID:
- 1003560
- Journal Information:
- Journal of the Minerals Metals & Materials Society (JOM), Vol. 58, Issue 8; ISSN 1047-4838
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Protective nitride formation on stainless steel alloys for proton exchange membrane fuel cell bipolar plates
Growth of Cr-Nitrides on Commercial Ni-Cr and Fe-Cr Base Alloys to Protect PEMFC Bipolar Plates