Modern Problems of Materials Science

Protective Coatings on 316L Stainless Steel for Application as Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Current Collectors

Yuliia Tyshyk1, Oleksandr Kuprin2, Olena Reshetniak2, Jaroslav Milewski3, Viktoriya Podhurska1

1. Karpenko Physico-Mechanical Institute, Lviv, Ukraine
2. National Science Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology, Kharkiv, Ukraine
3. Warsaw University of Technology, Warsaw, Poland

https://doi.org/10.15407/msse2025.01.113

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Keywords

molten carbonate fuel cell, current collectors, protective coatings, oxidation resistance, electrical conductivity

Abstract

Protective coatings on 316L stainless steel were investigated as interconnect candidates for molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFCs). Co-Cr-based PVD-deposited systems were studied for oxidation resistance and surface electrical conductivity after holding for 1000 h at 600°C in the air. Coatings based on Co-Cr-Mo and Co-Cr-Al-Ti-Fe-Cu retained conductivities above 10⁵ S/m, whereas Nb- and V-containing coatings degraded severely. The Co-Cr-Al-Ti-Fe-Cu system showed the best balance of oxidation resistance and electrical conductivity.

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