PROCESS FOR SURFACE CONDITIONING OF A PLATE OR SHEET OF STAINLESS STEEL AND APPLICATION OF A LAYER ONTO THE SURFACE, INTERCONNECT PLATE MADE BY THE PROCESS AND USE OF THE INTERCONNECT PLATE IN FUEL CELL STACKS

摘要

A process for the conditioning of and applying a ceramic or other layer onto the surface of a sheet of stainless steel comprises the steps of (a) optionally annealing the steel plate or sheet in a protective gas atmosphere at an elevated temperature, (b) controlled etching of the surface of the sheet to produce a roughened surface and (c) depositing a protective and electrically conductive layer onto the roughened metallic surface. The process leads to coated metallic sheets with desirable properties, primarily to be used as interconnects in solid oxide fuel cells and solid oxide electrolysis cells.