Effect of Passivation Treatments on the Corrosion Resistance of PIM 316L Stainless Steel in a PEM Fuel Cell Simulated Environment

摘要

In this work, the corrosion resistance of passivated PIM 316L stainless steel specimens was evaluated in 1M H2SO4 + 2 ppm HF solution at room temperature during 28 days of immersion. Passivation was carried out in HNO_3 and H_2SO_4 solutions. The electrochemical behavior of the passivated specimens was assessed through electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and anodic polarization curves. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the surface of the specimens before and after the passivation treatments. The results pointed to a strong influence of the passivation conditions on the corrosion resistance of the specimens.