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Sandvik Launches New Interconnector Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

10/15/2008 - Sandvik Surface Technology is launching new interconnector materials with high temperature corrosion resistance and good surface conductivity for use in solid oxide fuel cell technology.

Sandvik Surface Technology is launching new interconnector materials for use in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology. The new materials have been engineered to combine excellent high temperature corrosion resistance with good surface conductivity.
 
Sandvik launched the new material in support of its aim to become a leading supplier to the fuel cell industry with its range of tailor-made pre-coated stainless steels. The new material—Pre-coated Sandvik Sanergy™ HT—is the result of extensive and focused research and development. It combines an optimized steel grade with tailor-made surface coatings to minimize chromium evaporation and extend operational life. The material is manufactured using normal industrial strip production routes, and the coating is applied by Sandvik Surface Technology in a continuous process.

In the pre-coated form, Sandvik Sanergy HT has good processing and forming characteristics. These features facilitate customer-specific requirements in terms of accommodating customized products for solid oxide fuel cell applications. This can help to streamline the production process through fewer process steps and easier handling. Because the material is gas tight, it facilitates the use of thin plates within the fuel cell and is designed to closely mimic the expansion of ceramic materials used in SOFCs.

Unique to Sandvik Sanergy HT in the pre-coated form is its extremely low degradation rate in fuel cell applications, as a result of a cobalt coating that reduces the electrical resistance of the surface and minimizes chromium evaporation. Carefully controlled chemical composition of the steel strip, with the addition of molybdenum and niobium, improves the material’s high-temperature strength and oxidation resistance.

According to the company, the pre-coated Sandvik Sanergy HT utilizes an environmentally friendly manufacturing process and the steel strip is fully recyclable.