Potentiodynamic polarization test as a versatile tool for bipolar plates materials at start-up and shut-down environments: a review

ABSTRACT

The field of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) has been of primary interest in transportation applications as a result of their low pollutant emissions and relatively high efficiency. Bipolar plates are the vital components of these devices and are often exposed to corrosive environments due to their operational processes. Potentiodynamic polarization is used by researchers to investigate the material behavior of BPP used in the PEMFC applications. This paper aims to describe the application of electrochemical analysis in understanding the material behavior of PEMFC components, with a particular focus on the utilization of potentiodynamic polarization to provide material degradation information of bipolar plates. The potentiodynamic polarization test examines the material behavior of BPPs in terms of using voltage and current density change. This paper, therefore, combined potential applications of potentiodynamic polarization analysis technique to explore the BPP material behavior in two different PEMFC applications of start-up and shut-down processes.

KEYWORDS:

• Bipolar plates
• materials
• degradation
• potentiodynamic polarization
• metal