Publication

Sustainable Energy Engineering Lab

Selected Publications

Selected Publications

Advanced Zirfon-type porous separator for a high-rate alkaline electrolyser operating in a dynamic mode
Author
Hae In Lee, Muhammad Mehdi, Sang Kyung Kim, Hyun Seok Cho, Min Joong Kim, Won Chul Cho, Young Woo Rhee, Chang Hee Kim
Journal
Journal of Membrane Science
Status
Accepted
Page
118541
Year
2021
Porous separators have been widely used in classical alkaline electrolysers. The development of an advanced separator with low ohmic resistance and hydrogen permeability is essential for operating a high-rate alkaline electrolyser in a dynamic mode. In this study, we report the synthesis of a Zirfon-type separator with a reduced ohmic resistance of 0.10 Ω cm2 and hydrogen permeability of 0.2 × 10−12 mol cm−1 bar−1 sec−1 measured in 30 wt% KOH electrolyte solution at ambient conditions while exploring the effects of coagulation temperature, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) addition, and separator thickness. This separator was employed in the single cell of a lab-scale water electrolyser with non-noble metal catalysts demonstrating a stable cell voltage of 1.83 V at a current density of 1000 mA cm−2, temperature of 80 °C, and 30 wt% KOH concentration in the electrolyte solution during 300 h of operation. The anodic hydrogen content at a low current density of 50 mA cm−2, differential pressure of 0.3 bar, and temperature of 80 °C was only 1.2%, while the corresponding value obtained for a Zirfon PERL separator exceeded 2%. These results are comparable with the cell parameters previously achieved using anion exchange membranes combined with noble metal-based catalysts.