Corrosion Test Stand
Description
The fuel cell electric vehicles start to reach the market and approach mass production. The automotive applications require high enough power densities to reach the parity with the internal combustion engine leading to the preference of the metallic bipolar plates. The metallic bipolar plates have a much worse corrosion resistance as their graphite-polymer composite alternative and require expensive coating systems to withstand the harsh environment in the cell.
This apparatus facilitates the galvanostatic and potentiostatic measurements that estimate the corrosion rate from the Faraday law from the corrosion current. The three-electrode measurements (Pt-grid counter electrode, probe as a working electrode and a reference electrode) under the operating temperature and composition expected in the automotive application (80 degrees C; H2 or air purge to simulate the anode and cathode; pH 3, 0.1 ppm HF) are compared to the benchmark data supporting the DoE and FCH JU requirements.
Information
Location: 2/E003 (C20.003)
