Improvement of Corrosion Resistance and Electrical Conductivity of Stainless Steel 316L Bipolar Plate by Pickling and Passivation

Corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of stainless steel bipolar plate remains a big challenge while it has been regarded as the most promising candidate for proton exchange membrane fuel cell. The purpose of this paper is to study the effects of pickling and passivation by sulfuric acid and a mixture of nitric and fluoric acids, respectively, on corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of stainless steel 316L (SS316L) bipolar plate. First, pickling of the specimens of SS316L is performed in a 15 wt.% H2SO4. Afterwards, the specimens are passivated in a mixture of 12 wt.% HF and 4 wt.% HNO3. Electrochemical and interfacial conductivity tests are conducted to examine the change in corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of SS316L. Finally, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveal the evolution of surface morphology, chemical composition and surface conductivity. The results show that the corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity of SS316L could be improved significantly by pickling and passivation. The increase in Cr:Fe ratio as well as a more uniform surface with higher conductivity is the main reason for the improvement of corrosion resistance and interfacial conductivity of SS316L