Bipolar plates, accounting for a
large proportion of proton exchange
membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), are highly susceptible to corrosion
by H
+
, SO
4
2–
, and so on because
of the strong acid-rich and oxygen/hydrogen-rich environments. In
this work, the corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy bipolar plates
modified in the cathodic environment of PEMFCs has been investigated.
A honeycomb structure is constructed by anodizing on an aluminum alloy
(AA5052) bipolar plate, and a polyacrylonitrile (PAN) film is prepared
by infusing PAN solution on the surface. From scanning electron microscopy
and atomic force microscopy, we observe that the porous structure
of the aluminum alloy surface is more advantageous for enhancing the
mechanical engagement between PAN and the aluminum alloy. Therefore,
the PAN film is dense and smooth. Electrochemical tests confirm that
the PAN film greatly improves the corrosion resistance of the aluminum
alloy bipolar plate under the cathodic environment of the PEMFC. When
graphene oxide (GO) is added, the charge-transfer resistance (
R
ct
) is not only improved but also the stability
under oxygen-rich acidic conditions is prolonged.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.