TFP Hydrogen Products PEM Electrolyzer Coatings - Understanding Degradation Mechanisms in Titanium Components for PEM Electrolyzers and Methods to Minimize Degradation

Abstract

In a world in which fossil fuel energy is becoming scarcer and more expensive, countries are struggling to meet their carbon reduction obligations. Green hydrogen applications have finally reached the top of energy agendas. Currently the only industrially applicable zero carbon method to produce hydrogen is via electrolysis utilizing renewable sources of electricity.Commercial PEM electrolysers are required to have a lifetime exceeding 40,000 operational hours. Without coatings, degradation of the bipolar plates can result in lifetimes of less than 10,000 with large increases in the operating voltage and therefore cost of hydrogen. However, coating the bipolar plate and porous transport layers extends the lifetimes to greater than the required 40,000 hours.TFP Hydrogen products is a world leader in protective coatings for PEM electrolysers, supplying many of the largest producers. TFP Hydrogen’s PEM electrolyser component coatings minimise energy losses, help prevent hydrogen embrittlement and improve system longevity.Bipolar plate failure in PEM electrolysers is not often studied because it can take thousands of hours, therefore the mechanism is not well understood. TFP Hydrogen has used electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to investigate coated and uncoated bipolar electrodes in PEM electrolyser cells operated for thousands of hours. The results have given rise to an understanding of one of the failure mechanisms and the causes of degradation. The mechanism is based on the slow degradation of membranes and is independent of the electrochemical potential. This, in turn, has led to an accelerated stress test for component coatings for PEM electrolysers.In addition, there are ambitious cost reduction targets for hydrogen electrolysers to facilitate wide scale utilization of green hydrogen technologies. TFP Hydrogen have been developing the next generation coating technology for porous transports in PEM electrolysers to help meet this target. This coating significantly lowers the cost of coating porous transport layers without affecting performance or durability. The results of the testing will be presented at the meeting.