Affiliation:
1. Electrochemical Energy Systems IMTEK – Department of Microsystems Engineering University of Freiburg Georges‐Koehler‐Allee 103 79110 Freiburg Germany
2. Hahn‐Schickard Georges‐Koehler‐Allee 103 79110 Freiburg Germany
3. Department of Natural Sciences and Biotechnology Engineering Polymers Laboratory Agricultural University of Georgia 240 David Aghmashenebeli Alley Tbilisi 0131 Georgia
Abstract
AbstractPolymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is a crucial technology for green hydrogen production. Hydrocarbon membranes are drawing a lot of attention due to potentially superior properties and the fact that common fluorinated polymers might face a potential ban. This study introduces a sulfonated poly(phenylene sulfone) (sPPS) membrane, reinforced with a poly(ether‐ether‐ketone) (PEEK) mesh. The reinforced membrane induces a drastic increase in dimensional stability, enabling direct anode casting—an essential step toward industrial manufacturing. It further exhibits a significant reduction in water uptake (115% vs 294% for pure sPPS) and a 40% lower H2‐crossover (0.18 mA cm−2) compared to the industry standard N115 (0.31 mA cm−2). Due to the lower thickness (74 vs 127 µm) and higher ion exchange capacity (IEC)(1.92 vs 0.89 mmol g−1), the PEEK‐sPPS membrane displays a substantially lower resistance (70 vs 159 mΩ cm2 for N115). This directly translates into a voltage reduction of ≈90 mV at 1 A cm−2 or ≈180 mV at 2 A cm−2, both typical operating current densities. Finally, PEEK‐sPPS exhibits the longest lifetime shown for hydrocarbon membranes with almost 650 h at 1 A cm−2 and a low degradation rate (80 µV h−1).
Funder
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
Subject
General Materials Science,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment