Influence of Microporous Layers on Interfacial Properties, Oxygen Flow Distribution, and Durability of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyzers

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c06899
• Publication Date: 2023-10-03T18:49:48Z
• Authors: Devashish Kulkarni; Ryan Ouimet; Bryan Erb; Dilworth Y. Parki...; Hung-Ming Chang; Cliffton Wang; Andrew Smeltz; Christopher Capuano; Iryna V. Zenyuk
• Keywords: Electrolysis of water

The efficient and cost-effective production of green hydrogen is essential to decarbonize heavily polluting sectors such as transportation heavy manufacturing industries metal refining. Polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) the most promising rapidly maturing technology for producing at a scale on demand. However, substantial cost reduction by lowering precious catalyst loadings efficiency improvement necessary lower produced hydrogen. Porous transport layers (PTLs) play major role in influencing PEMWE utilization. Several studies have projected that use microporous (MPLs) PTLs can improve PEMWEs, but very limited literature exists how MPLs affect anodic interfacial properties oxygen PTLs. In this study, first time, we X-ray microtomography innovative image processing techniques elucidate flow patterns with varying MPL thicknesses. We used stained contrast demonstrate visualization time averaged patterns. results show significantly contact almost 20% compared single layer sintered PTL. For PTL without MPL, pore volume utilization low follows viscous fingering regime. With MPLs, higher, number pathways increased significantly. were also shown suppress capillary transition regime, which has been proven decrease site masking effects. Finally, durability tests showed least voltage degradation thin thicker run into mass limitations. Based these findings, PTL/MPL design optimization strategies are proposed enabling improving durability.