A Review of Metallic Bipolar Plates for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells: Materials and Fabrication Methods

Table 1

Uncoated metals—interfacial contact resistance and corrosion resistant properties in simulated PEMFC environments.

Base metal	Test environment	Corrosion current density (×10^−6A cm^−2)	Interfacial contact resistance (mΩ cm^2 at 150 N cm^−2)	Sample size 𝑙 × 𝑤 × 𝑡 (mm)	Purge	Reference
316L SS	1 × 10^−5 to 1.0 M H2SO4 + 6.0 × 10^−4 M F^− (NaF) at 70°C	1.48 (1 × 10^−5 M H2SO4); 0.88 (0.1 M H2SO4); 640 (1.0 M H2SO4)	50 (1 × 10^−5 M H2SO4); 20 (0.1 and 1.0 M H2SO4)	10 (diameter)		[70]
Ferritic SS type 444; Ferritic SS type 445J2	0.05 M H2SO4 + 2 ppm F^− at 80°C		~30; ~30	20 mm^2 × 2	Ar or Air	[72]
AISI 316L, AIS I321, AISI 347, Inconel 625, Inconel 825, Hastelloy C-276, tantalium, titanium	85% H3PO4 at 30°C, 80°C, 120°C			15 (diameter)		[73]
316L SS high Cr and Ni Austenitic SS (26 wt% Cr, 19.4 wt% Ni)	0.05 M H2SO4 + 2 ppm F^−at 70°C		200 (316L SS); 30 (HCN)		H2 (an); Air (cat)	[76]
316L SS; 317L SS; 904L SS	98% H3PO4 at 170°C	316L SS: 5–5.8 mA cm^−2 317L SS: 5.0 mA cm^−2; 904L SS: 1.0–1.7 mA cm^−2		25 × 13	H2 (an); Air (cat)	[77]
SS type 201; SS type SL219	1.0 M H2SO4at 70°C	316L SS: 12; SS type 201: 8	>100	25.4 × 12.7	H2 (an); Air (cat)	[78]
High nitrogen SS; (1.06 wt% N2)	0.05 M SO42− + 2 ppm F^−at 80°C and pH 2.3, 4.3, 5.5	8 at 0.1 V; 9 at 0.6 V	After 8 h polarization: pH 2.3: 110; pH 4.3: 110; pH 5.5: 100; as polished: 20; (all at 100 N cm^−2)	20 × 20 × 2 (for polarization test); 80 × 80 × 6 (for all other tests)	Ar or Air	[79]