Comprehensive performance study of multilayer Ni-P/Cr/CrMoAlN-coated aluminum alloy bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

摘要

Aluminum alloy bipolar plates have the merits of lightweight, favorable cold processing performance and low price, which have an extensive application prospect in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To enhance the corrosion resistance and conductivity of aluminum alloy bipolar plates, a multilayer Ni-P/Cr/CrMoAlN coating was prepared on aluminum alloy 5052 (AA5052) using electroless plating and closed field unbalanced magnetron sputtering ion plating (CFUMSIP) techniques. The research findings indicate that the outermost layer of the multilayer Ni-P/Cr/CrMoAlN coating is mainly composed of CrN, Mo2N, and AlN phases. Electrochemical and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) tests reveal that the Ni-P/Cr/CrMoAlN coating has the lowest current density (7.37 x 10-7 A cm-2) in potentiostatic polarization test and the smallest ICR (2.36 m omega cm2). Therefore, the Ni-P/Cr/CrMoAlN coating can remarkably improve the performance of aluminum alloy bipolar plates.