Corrosion Resistant Multi-Component Coatings for Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Abstract: Multi-component coatings and high entropy alloys have in recent years attracted great interest for research, since they have shown to exhibit properties greater than the com- ponents of their parts. Today’s climate challenges requires transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources which demands use of new technology and new innovations. The hydrogen fuel cell is a technology which produces no carbon emissions, and the drive for innovation has led researchers to apply multi-component (high entropy alloys) coatings to invent the next generation hydrogen fuel cells and help the transition to renewable energy sources. This thesis has investigated the process-structure-property relationships of four deposi- tion growth parameters: target current (Itarget), argon pressure (PAr). substrate bias (Vsubstrate) and deposition time (tdeposition) on TiNbZrTa-coatings, grown by magnetron sputtering using an industrial deposition system. The range of the parameters have been: Itarget from 2.5 to 6 A, PAr from 1 to 17 mTorr, Vsubstrate from 30 to 200 V and tdeposition from 3.6 to 12 minutes (depending on Itarget). Coatings have been grown on Si (001) and stainless steel 304 and 316L substrates. The coating microstructure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy. The results have yielded that all coatings are equimolar and that the coatings exhibit three different morphologies, two different topologies and two different corresponding structures. The different morphologies are wave, coarse columnar and fine columnar morphology. The two topologies are nodular and dune surface topology. The two different structures are a solid solution BCC (110) phase and an amorphous or nanocrystalline phase. The results indicate that parameters affecting the temperature of the substrate (Tsubstrate) is the prime decider for the final morphology of the coatings. High Itarget and Vsubstrate, low PAr and long tdeposition all increases Tsubstrate and results in a coating which exhibits a fine columnar morphology, dune topology and a solid solution BCC phase. These types of coatings have also proven to have improved corrosion resistance compared to the other type of coatings seen in this thesis. The other kind of coating is grown with low Itarget and Vsubstrate, high PAr and short tdeposition, which causes minimal increase of Tsubstrate. These growth parameters result in a coating with coarse columnar morphology, nodular topology and amorphous or nanocrystalline phase, with less corrosion resistance.