Electrodeposition of Mn-Co alloys on steel AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel from Li-ion battery recycling: application in PACOS interconnectors

One of the current challenges is the search for efficient and low-cost materials for the components of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCS), since these devices stand out for the clean generation of electric energy and high efficiency. Among these components is the interconnector, ferritic stainless steel can be used in its manufacture. However, protective coatings are necessary to block the volatility of the chrome of the metallic surface of the interconnector under the operating conditions of the PaCOS. In this work, the coatings will be obtained from electrolytic solutions containing Co2+ and Mn2+ from cathodes of exhausted lithium-ion batteries (LIB's). Potentiostatic electrodepositions will be performed to obtain cobalt and manganese alloys on the AISI 430 steel samples surface. The charge efficiency data were calculated to optimize the samples, and the more acidic pH condition was shown to be less efficient. However, the film showed a homogeneous microstructure, less porous and composed of an internal (Mn, Cr)(2)O-3 layer and an external MnCo2O4 layer, capable of blocking the loss of Cr, as demonstrated by the analyzes of XRD, SEM and EDS. For the less acidic pH, the presence of Mn in the deposit composition was not identified, and the coating formed by Co3O4 was not able to block the loss of chromium by volatility.