SHEET STAINLESS STEEL FOR SEPARATORS IN SOLID POLYMER FUEL CELLS, AND SOLID POLYMER FUEL CELLS USING THE SAME

A stainless steel member for a separator of a solid polymer fuel cell which has excellent cell properties with little deterioration in performance over long periods of operation without worsening of the corrosion resistance of a stainless steel separator is provided. A stainless steel member has a stainless steel base metal, and a passive film and electrically conductive precipitates both provided on a surface of the stainless steel base metal. The electrically conductive precipitate penetrates the passive film and includes a substance originating from the stainless steel base metal. An electrically conductive layer comprising a nonmetallic electrically conductive substance is preferably provided on the surface of the passive film, and the electrically conductive layer is preferably electrically connected to the stainless steel base member through the electrically conductive precipitates.