Corrosion Protection of Molten Carbonate Fuel Cell Gas Seals

Because the corrosion rates of metallic cell components in the gas seals of molten-carbonate fuel cells are a limiting factor in the useful lifetimes of such cells, Argonne National Laboratory conducted a study on ways of inhibiting corrosion at the cell-housing seals. The study showed that a lithium aluminate coating on 316 stainless steel offers corrosion protection to metallic cell components susceptible to corrosive attack in a molten-carbonate fuel-cell environment, especially at the wet seal areas. Although the study describes the corrosion protection of only Type 316, Argonne expects that other stainless steels can be protected from corrosion by the application of an aluminized layer. Based on this experience, a further improvement for the corrosion protection of wet seals has been developed. Those areas of the cell housing covered by an aluminized coating have been increased to encompass the areas adjacent to the wet seal. This procedure presents the formation of a corrosion layer beneath the edge of the diffuse intermediate layer.