Effect of porous transport layer properties on the anode electrode in anion exchange membrane electrolyzers

Hassan, Noor Ul; Motyka, Elaine; Kweder, Jonathan; Ganesan, Prabhu; Brechin, Bryce; Zulevi, Barr; Colón-Mercado, Héctor R.; Kohl, Paul A.; Mustain, William E.

doi:10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.232371

Effect of porous transport layer properties on the anode electrode in anion exchange membrane electrolyzers

Journal Article · Wed Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2022 · Journal of Power Sources

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2022.232371· OSTI ID:2568273

Hassan, Noor Ul ^[1]; Motyka, Elaine ^[2]; Kweder, Jonathan ^[2]; Ganesan, Prabhu ^[3]; Brechin, Bryce ^[3]; Zulevi, Barr ^[4]; Colón-Mercado, Héctor R. ^[3]; Kohl, Paul A. ^[5]; ^[1]

University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC (United States)
Technetics Group, Columbia, SC (United States)
Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), Aiken, SC (United States)
Pajarito Powder, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMELs) have recently received significant attention due to their potential advantages over existing commercial water electrolysis technologies. However, AEM electrolyzers have not yet met performance and durability targets. One of the critical components in achieving high AEMEL performance is the porous transport layer (PTL) which serves many critical functions in the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrode. In this study, several OER PTL attributes were investigated, including: material of construction, fabrication method, feature size, porosity/density, and thickness. It was found that higher porosity helped facilitate multiphase (O₂, H₂O, etc.) transport; however, as the porosity increased, the catalyst layer adhesion to the PTL decreased, the contact resistance with the bipolar plate increased and the cell operating voltage increased. It was found that nickel-based PTLs allowed for lower operating voltages than similarly-structured stainless steel PTLs. Improved operating voltages were achieved with both fiber felts and sintered structures by porosity optimization. Furthermore, an increase in thickness did not affect transient voltage response, however, it had a negative effect on performance stability. As a result, the experimental findings presented here provide important insights for development of PTL materials and structures for efficient and low-cost water electrolysis.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: 89303321CEM000080; EE0008833

OSTI ID:: 2568273

Journal Information:: Journal of Power Sources, Journal Name: Journal of Power Sources Vol. 555; ISSN 0378-7753

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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08 HYDROGEN
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