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Title: A Roadmap to Low-Cost Hydrogen with Hydroxide Exchange Membrane Electrolyzers

Journal Article · · Advanced Materials
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  1. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
  2. Giner Inc., Newton, MA (United States)
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
  4. Global Energy Interconnection Research Inst. Co., Ltd.,Beijing (China)
  5. GEIRI North America, San Jose, CA (United States)
  6. Univ. at Buffalo, NY (United States)

Hydrogen is an ideal alternative energy carrier to generate power for all of society's energy demands including grid, industrial, and transportation sectors. Among the hydrogen production methods, water electrolysis is a promising method because of its zero greenhouse gas emission and its compatibility with all types of electricity sources. Alkaline electrolyzers (AELs) and proton exchange membrane electrolyzers (PEMELs) are currently used to produce hydrogen. AELs are commercially mature and are used in a variety of industrial applications, while PEMELs are still being developed and find limited application. In comparison with AELs, PEMELs have more compact structure and can achieve higher current densities. Recently, however, an alternative technology to PEMELs, hydroxide exchange membrane electrolyzers (HEMELs), has gained considerable attention due to the possibility to use platinum group metal (PGM)-free electrocatalysts and cheaper membranes, ionomers, and construction materials and its potential to achieve performance parity with PEMELs. Here, the state-of-the-art AELs and PEMELs along with the current status of HEMELs are discussed in terms of their positive and negative aspects. Additionally discussed are electrocatalyst, membrane, and ionomer development needs for HEMELs and benchmark electrocatalysts in terms of the cost-performance tradeoff.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1508956
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-73764
Journal Information:
Advanced Materials, Vol. 31, Issue 31; ISSN 0935-9648
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 69 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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