Multilayer coating for a corrosion-resistant metal bipolar plate for a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC)

The present disclosure includes a bipolar plate for fuel cells with a coating and methods of forming the coating. The bipolar plate may comprise a steel substrate and a coating in contact with the steel substrate. The coating may comprise a plurality of alternating layers of oxide-forming and elutionsbestandigen layers. The oxide-forming layers (doped / alloyed with niobium, zirconium, vanadium, silver, tantalum, yttrium, scandium or nitrogen z. B.) include pure titanium, doped titanium or a titanium alloy and the elutionsbestandigen layers may be a noble metal or tantalum (z include, for example, gold, iridium, ruthenium, or tantalum). It may be present in each case 2 to 20 layers of the oxide-forming layers and the elutionsbestandigen layers. The coating can prevent elution of iron ions from the steel substrate, for example, by forming Oxidstopfen in defects or pinholes in the oxide-forming and / or elutionsbestandigen layers. The coating may further comprise the total consumption of precious metals, such as gold decrease.