US EPA

4792514 

Journal Article 

The effect of membrane on an alkaline water electrolyzer 

Liu, Z; Sajjad, SD; Gao, Yan; Yang, H; Kaczur, JJ; Masel, RI 

2017 

Yes 

International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
ISSN: 0360-3199 

42 

50 

29661-29665 

10.1016/j.ijhydene.2017.10.050 

WOS:000419417600003 

Water electrolyzers are being developed as a way of storing renewable energy, as a way to produce hydrogen for fuel cell automobiles, and as a route to renewable fuels and chemicals. In this paper the performance of an alkaline water electrolyzers at 60 degrees C with 1 M KOH and iron/nickel/cobalt catalysts with several different membranes: Sustainion (R) 37-50, Fumasep FAS-50, Fumasep FAPQ Neosepta ACM, AMI 7001, Nafion (R) 115, and Celazole (R) PBI. Measured area specific resistances (ASR) at 60 degrees C with 1 M KOH varied from 0.045 Omega-cm(2) with Sustainion (R) 37-60 to over 50 Omega-cm(2) with Neosepta ACM. The current at a cell potential of 1.9 V varied from 1 A/cm(2) with Sustainion (R) 37, 0.5 A/cm(2) with Fumasep FAS-50, 0.17 A/cm(2) with Fumasep FAPQ and less than 0.1 A/cm(2) for Neosepta ACM, AMI 7001, Nafion 115 and Celazole (R) PBI. Constant current runs at 1 A/cm(2) were done with the Sustainion (R) 37 membranes and the Fumasep FAS-50. The cell with the Sustainion (R) 37 membrane was very stable. The voltage to maintain 1 A/cm(2) rose only 3-5 mu V/h over a 2000 hr run. In contrast, the voltage to maintain 1 A/cm(2) in the cell with the FAS-50 membrane showed over 200 mu V/h increase and failed after 200 h.



One Sentence Summary: The paper shows that one can double the current output of an alkaline water electrolyzer by using Sustainion (R) 37 membranes. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 

Anion Exchange Membrane; AEM electrolyzer; Alkaline Electrolyzer; Base Metal Catalysts; Zero Gap Electrolyzer