A team at the University of Hong Kong has created a new stainless steel alloy that resists corrosion in seawater electrolysis. The material could replace expensive titanium components in hydrogen production systems.
The alloy, known as SS-H2, was developed under the leadership of Professor Mingxin Huang in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. It employs a sequential dual-passivation strategy, forming a chromium oxide layer followed by a manganese-based protective shield that withstands potentials up to 1700 mV. This approach overcomes the limitations of conventional stainless steel, which fails at around 1000 mV during water oxidation in chloride-rich environments.