Bipolar plate materials development using Fe-based alloys for solid polymer fuel cells

Due to its high efficiency and the relatively low working temperature of 80°C, the solid polymer fuel cell (SPFC) is mainly intended for transport applications. In this work the authors present results on bipolar plate materials development using economical Fe-based alloys. The construction materials are exposed to very different potentials by electrochemical contact with the electrodes. Great demands are made on the bipolar plates with regard to the corrosion behaviour and contact resistance. Electrochemical investigations regarding corrosion behaviour showed that, in principle, Fe-based alloys can be employed. Future work will concentrate on reduction of the contact resistance between the construction material and the current collector ensuring a high efficiency of SPFC.