Influence of fluoride ions on corrosion performance of 316L stainless steel as bipolar plate material in simulated PEMFC anode environments

► The effect of fluoride ions concentration on corrosion behavior of SS316L in PEMFC anode environments is studied. ► Corrosion current densities of SS316L at different fluoride ions concentration are all lower than US DOE 2015 target, 1 μA cm−2. ► No localized corrosion occurs for SS316L in all simulate PEMFC anode environments. ► A single layer n-type semiconductor passive film formed on SS316L indicates there is a potential risk of localized corrosion.