MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF HASTELLOY X AND C-276 AND THEIR APPLICATION IN HYDROGEN FUEL CELL BIPOLAR PLATES

Bipolar plates are the key component of hydrogen fuel cells. Due to their corrosive working environment, the bipolar plate materials are required to have both good mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. This study mainly tests the mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance as hydrogen fuel bipolar plate materials of two typical Hastelloy alloys namely Hastelloy X and Hastelloy C-276. As a reference, the same tests were also carried out for a typical stainless steel material 304 SS. The testing results of the mechanical properties show that all Hastelloy X, Hastelloy C-276 and 304 SS exhibit good ductility, high strength and hardness. Among them, Hastelloy C-276 has uniform elongation of 51.6% and hardness of 361.2 HV, while Hastelloy X has yield strength as high as 444.8 MPa. The testing results for corrosion resistance show that Hastelloy C-276 has the highest corrosion resistance in a simulated hydrogen fuel cell corrosion solution (0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ + 2 mg/L HF, 80^oC). In general, the service performance of Hastelloy C-276 is significantly higher than Hastelloy X and 304 SS, and it is the most potential metal bipolar plate material for hydrogen fuel cells.