Characteristic of HVOF AISI316-WC Coating Layer on Stainless Steel Separator for PEMFC

고분자 전해질 연료전지용 스테인리스강 분리판의 HVOF AISI316-WC 코팅층 특성

Stainless steels have been widely considered as metallic separators, due to their passive surface film, which is good for corrosion resistance. However, the high resistivity of the passive film increases interfacial contact resistance between the separators and electrodes. Stainless steels thermal spray coated with a mixture of tungsten carbide and stainless steel powders showed that the coated layer safely combined with the matrix but they suffered many internal defects including voids and cracks. Many cracks were formed in the coated layer and the interface of the matrix and the coated layer during the rolling process. The coated and rolled stainless steels showed lower interfacial contact resistance and corrosion resistance than bare stainless steel because of low resistivity of tungsten carbide and numerous defects, which caused crevice corrosion, in the coated layer.