The present invention relates to an electrically conductive element for an
electrochemical cell comprising an electrically conductive
corrosion-susceptible metal substrate having a surface susceptible to
passivation by forming oxides in the presence of oxygen. The surface is
treated to remove any oxides present, and then is overlaid with an
electrically conductive corrosion-resistant coating comprising one or
more elements from Groups 4, 5, 10, or 11 of the Periodic Table, and then
a corrosion-resistant electrically conductive polymer-based coating. The
underlying substrate thus has improved corrosion-resistance while
maintaining electrical conductivity. Other preferred aspects of the
present invention include methods of treating the electrically conductive
contact element to resist corrosion while still maintaining electrical
conductivity.