Corrosion resistance and interfacial contact resistance of TiN coated 316L bipolar plates for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

TiN coating is successfully deposited on 316L by multi-arc ion plating. Corrosion behavior of TiN coated 316L is studied in 0.05 M H2SO4 + 2 ppm F− simulating proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) environments using electrochemical method, and interfacial contact resistance (ICR) is measured before and after potentiostatic polarization at operation potential for PEMFC. The TiN coated 316L exhibits promising ICR and improved corrosion resistance in simulated aggressive PEMFC environments. Only general overall corrosion is observed after potentiostatic polarization. Stable passive film has formed on the surface of the TiN coated 316L after potentiostatic polarization at the operation potential and results in a slight increase in the ICR. These results indicate that the TiN coated 316L is a candidate bipolar plate material for PEMFC stacks.