TK Stainless

high-performance materials
neW GeneraTions of fuel cells have been developed
in collaboration with the Jülich research Center.
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In the fuel cells, Crofer 22 H is used in the so-called
interconnectors. These are layers between the individual cells that
connect them into efficient “stacks”. “The ‘H-Type’ interconnectors
allow the use of thinner material in the fuel cells which cuts costs.
In addition, the SOFC stacks are more robust, as the more stable
H-interconnectors prevent bulging during heating and cooling,”
says Robert Steinberger, fuel cell project manager at the Jülich
Research Center. “Bulging can lead to short-circuits or blockages
in the gas channels which would render the fuel cell inoperative.
Crofer 22 H combines the advantages of Crofer 22 APU with
greater strength and thus robustness.”
MaGaZine
The full list of requirements for interconnector materials
is a long one. “In addition to high-temperature strength they
need to be electrically conductive, corrosion-resistant, easy to
process, and have high mechanical stability and load capacity.
In addition there must be no mechanical stresses between
the interconnectors and the individual cells,” says Dr. Heike
Hattendorf. “So the steel used in the interconnectors needs to
have a similar coefficient of expansion to the ceramic materials
the individual cells are made of.” Crofer 22 H meets all these
challenges and has now been produced for the first time as coil
and sheet. ---
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