Speaker
Description
Porous transport layers (PTLs) are pivotal components in polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolyzers (PEMWEs). At the anode, the PTL is placed between the bipolar plate and the polymer electrolyte membrane and must provide sufficient electrical and thermal conductivity, efficient contact with the catalyst layer (which is deposited on a membrane) to maximize catalyst utilization, mechanical support, and the ability to efficiently remove generated gas bubbles. Furthermore, the corrosive anodic electrochemical environment (oxygen-rich) motivates the use of titanium materials for the state-of-the-art PEMWE PTLs due to the excellent stability of Ti. These include thermally sintered titanium powders, titanium/stainless steel felts, titanium foams, and titanium meshes.1
In recent years, the introduction of microporous layers (MPLs), inspired by polymer electrolyte fuel cells, have further enhanced the device performance2-4. However, there is a lack of fundamental understanding on how to deterministically design these materials. Through a rigorous and systematic study, we aim to elucidate the relationships between the three-dimensional structure of the PTL-MPL, their wettability, and the resulting mass transfer properties and performance. By obtaining this structure-composition-performance relationships, we hope to guide the design of advanced PTL-MPLs from the bottom-up.
In this study we show how MPLs with different structural characteristics such as particle size, pore size and thickness can be produced using ultrasonic spraycoating. Particle size and thickness can be easily controlled using this method, but the porosity of the layer requires more in-dept study. Using a Design of Experiments (DoE) approach, we systematically investigate how spray-coating parameters influence the porosity of the microporous layer (MPL), including binder concentration, cosolvent ratio, and spraying temperature. Subsequently, MPLs with different characteristics can be produced and tested in a PEM electrolyzer to study which MPL properties give the optimal PEM water electrolysis performance.
1.Yuan, X.-Z. et al. The porous transport layer in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis: perspectives on a complex component. Sustain. Energy Fuels 6, 1824 1853 (2022).
2. Lettenmeier, P., Kolb, S., Burggraf, F., Gago, A. S. & Friedrich, K. A. Towards developing a backing layer for proton exchange membrane electrolyzers. J. Power Sources 311, 153 158 (2016).
3. Hasa, B. et al. Porous transport layer influence on overpotentials in PEM water electrolysis at low anode catalyst loadings. Appl. Catal. B Environ. Energy 361, 124616 (2025).
4. Liu, Y et al. Comprehensive Analysis of the Gradient Porous Transport Layer for the Proton-Exchange Membrane Electrolyzer. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 16, 47357 47367 (2024)
| Country | The Netherlands |
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