Abstract
A 316-grade woven stainless-steel mesh membrane was investigated as a gas-separation membrane for alkaline water-splitting electrolysis. Its resistance was measured using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), with the conclusion that it presented approximately half the resistance of a comparable commercial alternative (ZirfonTM). Its gas-separation performance was analysed using gas chromatography (GC) at 140 mA cm−2, where it achieved 99.25% purity at the hydrogen outlet of the electrolyser. This fell to 97.5% under pumped circulation, which highlights that it is sensitive to pressure differentials. Nevertheless, this mixture is still more than a factor two inside the upper flammability limit of hydrogen in oxygen. It is hoped that such a low-cost material may bring entry-level electrolysis to many hitherto discounted applications.
Highlights
Renewable energy generation, such as solar and wind, is the cheapest form of electricity across large parts of the world [1]
Alkaline-based solutions are recognised to achieve the greatest performance in terms of capital expenditure and longevity [5], and are much more likely to constitute the bulk of future capacity [6,7]
The series electrical resistance (RS ) between the electrodes can be calculated from the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results at high frequency, its value being given by the point of intercept closest to the origin between the semi-circle and the x-axis [14]
Summary
Renewable energy generation, such as solar and wind, is the cheapest form of electricity across large parts of the world [1]. It is difficult to store electrical energy without expensive, complex, and most likely imported batteries. This is where hydrogen is recognised to have the greatest scope for transformative change [2,3]. In addition to the search for low-cost high-performance catalysts [8], all aspects of the water-splitting system should be investigated in the quest to drive down costs, and broaden the range of potential applications. To this end, an incredibly simple, low-technology gas-separation membrane would be of great utility
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