• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.55 no.6
• /
• pp.319-327
• /
• 2022

Ion exchange membranes have been developed from laboratory tools to industrial products with significant technical and trade impacts in the last 70 years. Today, ion exchange membranes are successfully applied for water and energy for different electro-membrane processes. Hydrogen could be produced by electrochemical water splitting using renewable energy, for example, solar, biomass, geothermal and wind energy. This review briefly summarizes the recent studies reporting the state-of-the-art anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis, especially focusing on the enhancement of the durability of anion-exchange membranes. Anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis could be used as inexpensive non-noble metal electrocatalysts that are capable of producing low cost of hydrogen. However, the main challenge of anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis is to increase the performance and durability. In this mini review, the limiting factors of the durability and the technology enhancing the durability will be discussed for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.23 no.6
• /
• pp.469-474
• /
• 2013

An anion exchange membrane was prepared for a separator in the alkaline water electrolysis. An anion exchange membrane was prepared by the chloromethylation and amination of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used as a base polymer. The membrane properties of the prepared anion exchange membrane such as the membrane resistance and ion exchange capacity were measured. The minimum membrane resistance of the prepared anion exchange membrane was $2.9{\Omega}{\cdot}cm^2$ in 1M NaOH aq. solution. This membrane had 2.17 meq./g-dry-membrane and 43.4% for the ion exchange capacity and water content, respectively. The membrane properties of the prepared anion exchange membrane was compared with that of the commercial anion exchange membrane. The membrane resistance decreased in the order; AHT>IOMAC> Homemade membrane> AHA>APS=AFN. The ion exchange capacity decreased in the order; Homemade membrane>AFN>APS>AHT>AHA>IOMAC.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.32 no.6
• /
• pp.496-513
• /
• 2022

In this study, we sought to verify the applicability of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis system using FAA-3-50, Neosepta-ASE, Sustainion grade T, and Fujifilm type 10, which are commercial anion exchange membranes. The morphology of the commercial membranes and the elements on the surface were analyzed using SEM/EDX to confirm the distribution of functional groups included in the commercial membranes. In addition, mechanical strength and decomposition temperature were measured using UTM and TGA to check whether the driving conditions of the water electrolyte were satisfied. The ion exchange capacity and ion conductivity were measured to understand the performance of anion exchange membranes, and the alkaline resistance of each commercial membrane was checked and durability test was performed because they were driven in an alkaline environment. Finally, a membrane-electrode assembly was manufactured and a water electrolysis single cell test was performed to confirm cell performance at 60℃, 70℃, and 80℃. The long-term cell test was measured 20 cycles at other temperatures to compare water electrolysis performance.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.55-63
• /
• 2023

In this study, the influence of different IEMs (ion exchange membranes) to performance of the hypochlorite electrolysis unit with Cl₂ recovery stream was investigated. More specifically, Nafion 117-a representative cation exchange membrane (CEM)-and aminated polypheylene oxide (APPO)-an anion exchange membrane (AEM)-were installed in the hypochlorite electrolysis unit, and the performance and the energy efficiency of the units were evaluated and compared. Regardless of whether CEM (Nafion 117) or AEM (APPO) was installed, the rate of hypochlorite generation was increased (by up to 24.3% and 22.2% for Nafion 117 and APPO, respectively) compared with the unit without an IEM. On the other hand, the power efficiency and the optimum operation condition of hypochlorite production units seem to depend on the conductivity and stability of the installed IEM. As the result, between Nafion 117 and APPO, higher performance and efficiency were achieved with Nafion 117, due to excellent conductivity and stability of the membrane.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.275-281
• /
• 2021

To evaluate the possibility as a separator in alkaline water electrolysis, the thermal stability, ion conductivity and durability of 5 commercially available anion exchange membranes were tested. The thermal stability of FAAM-PK-75 and FAAM-40 membrane analyzed by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA) showed good performance compared to the other three types of AEM, AHO, and AHA membrane. The ion conductivity of AEM membrane measured in 7 M KOH solution at 25℃ and 80℃ had a higher value of about 4~17 times compared to the other membranes. The durability of FAAM-PK-75 tested in 7 M KOH solution at 25℃ was high compared to the other membranes.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.330-336
• /
• 2022

In order to evaluate the possibility as a separator in alkaline water electrolysis, the high temperature characteristics were evaluated by measuring the membrane resistance and durability of 5 types of commercial anion exchange membranes in 7 M KOH solution and at 80℃. The membrane resistance of AEM membrane measured in 7 M KOH solution and at 80℃ had a lower value of about 8-24 times compared to the other membranes. The durability of AEM membrane tested with the soaking time in 7 M KOH solution and at 80℃ showed a very good stability and that of FAAM40 and FAAM75-PK showed secondly a good stability. The thermal stability with the soaking time in 7 M KOH solution and at 80℃ of FAAM40 and FAAM75-PK membrane analyzed by thermo-gravimetric analysis showed a good stability compared to the other membranes.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.8 no.3
• /
• pp.183-196
• /
• 2017

The research efforts directed at advancing water electrolysis technology continue to intensify together with the increasing interest in hydrogen as an alternative source of energy to fossil fuels. Among the various water electrolysis systems reported to date, systems employing a solid polymer electrolyte membrane are known to display both improved safety and efficiency as a result of enhanced separation of products: hydrogen and oxygen. Conducting water electrolysis in an alkaline medium lowers the system cost by allowing non-platinum group metals to be used as catalysts for the complex multi-electron transfer reactions involved in water electrolysis, namely the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions (HER and OER, respectively). We briefly review the anion exchange membranes (AEMs) and electrocatalysts developed and applied thus far in alkaline AEM water electrolysis (AEMWE) devices. Testing the developed components in AEMWE cells is a key step in maximizing the device performance since cell performance depends strongly on the structure of the electrodes containing the HER and OER catalysts and the polymer membrane under specific cell operating conditions. In this review, we discuss the properties of reported AEMs that have been used to fabricate membrane-electrode assemblies for AEMWE cells, including membranes based on polysulfone, poly(2,6-dimethyl-p-phylene) oxide, polybenzimidazole, and inorganic composite materials. The activities and stabilities of tertiary metal oxides, metal carbon composites, and ultra-low Pt-loading electrodes toward OER and HER in AEMWE cells are also described.

• Prospectives of Industrial Chemistry
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.1-21
• /
• 2021

화석연료의 과도한 사용으로 유발된 기후변화 문제를 해결하기 위해 대체에너지의 개발에 대한 관심이 높아지고 있는 가운데 재생가능하며 친환경적인 수소에너지가 실현가능한 궁극적 대안으로 주목받고 있다. 다양한 수소 생산 기술 중 물의 전기분해를 이용한 수전해 기술은 온실가스와 같은 오염물질을 배출하지 않으며 재생에너지와 연계하여 미이용 전력을 대용량 장주기로 저장할 수 있다는 장점이 있다. 수전해 장치는 수소와 산소를 발생하는 전극과 기체의 섞임을 방지하고 이온을 전달하는 분리막으로 구성되며 그 중 분리막은 수전해 장치의 효율과 안정성을 결정짓는 핵심 부품이다. 본 총설에서는 수전해 기술 중 저온 수전해에 해당하는 알칼라인 수전해(alkaline water electrolysis), 고분자전해질막 수전해(polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis)와 음이온교환막 수전해(anion exchange membrane water electrolysis)에 사용되는 분리막에 대한 특성을 분석하고 최근 연구 동향에 대해서 다루고자 한다.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.358-364
• /
• 2021

In this study, an anion exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE) cell was operated for ~1000 h at a voltage bias of 1.95 V. Impedance spectra were regularly measured every ~ 100 h, and changes in the ohmic and non-ohmic resistance were traced as a function of time. While there was relatively little change in the I-V curves and the total cell resistance during the long-term test, we observed various electrochemical phenomena in the cell: 1) initial activation with a decrease in both ohmic and non-ohmic resistance; 2) momentary and non-permanent bubble resistance (non-ohmic resistance) depending on the voltage bias, and 3) membrane degradation with a slight increase in the ohmic resistance. Thus, the regular test protocol used in this study provided clear insights into the performance degradation (or improvement) mechanism of AEMWE cells.

• Journal of the Korean Electrochemical Society
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.69-80
• /
• 2022

The anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis for high purity hydrogen production is attracting attention as a next-generation green hydrogen production technology by using inexpensive non-noble metal-based catalysts instead of conventional precious metal catalysts used in proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis systems. However, since AEM water electrolysis technology is in the early stages of development, it is necessary to develop research on AEM, ionomers, electrode supports and catalysts, which are key elements of AEM water electrolysis. Among them, current research in the field of catalysts is being studied to apply a previously developed half-cell catalyst for alkali to the AEM system, and the applied catalyst has disadvantages of low activity and durability. Therefore, this review presented a catalyst synthesis technique that promoted oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) using a non-noble metal-based catalyst in an alkaline medium.