• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.32 no.5
• /
• pp.293-298
• /
• 2021

To synthesize Fe/Ni nanocatalysts loaded on carbon black, Iron(II) acetylacetonate and nickel (II) acetylacetonate and were reduced to Fe and Ni metallic nanoparticles by a spontaneous reduction reaction. The distribution of the Fe and Ni nanoparticles was observed by transmission electron microscopy, and the loading weight of Fe/Ni nanocatalysts on the carbon black was measured by thermogravimetric analyzer. The elemental ratio of Fe and Ni was estimated by energy dispersive x-ray analyzer. It was found that the loading weight of Fe/Ni nanoparticles was 6.23 wt%, and the elemental ratio of Fe and Ni was 0.53:0.40. Specific surface area was measured by BET analysis instrument and I-V characteristics were estimated.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.33 no.3
• /
• pp.202-208
• /
• 2022

Pt-Ni nanocatalysts were loaded on carbon black by spontaneous reduction reaction of platinum (II) acetylacetonate and nickel (II) acetylacetonate, and they were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA), energy dispersive x-ray analyzer (EDS), BET surface area and fuel cell test station. The distribution of the Pt and Ni nanoparticles was observed by TEM, and the loading weight of Pt-Ni nanocatalysts on the carbon black was measured by TGA. The elemental ratio of Pt and Ni was estimated by EDS. It was found that the loading weight of Pt-Ni nanoparticles was 5.54 wt%, and the elemental ratio of Pt and Ni was 0.48:0.35. Specific surface area was measured by BET analysis instrument and I-V characteristics were estimated.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
• /
• v.10 no.3
• /
• pp.302-312
• /
• 2019

The voltage produced from the salinity gradient in reverse electrodialysis (RED) increases proportionally with the number of cell pairs of alternating cation and anion exchange membranes. Large-scale RED systems consisting of hundreds of cell pairs exhibit high voltage of more than 10 V, which is sufficient to utilize water electrolysis as the electrode reaction even though there is no specific strategy for minimizing the overpotential of water electrolysis. Moreover, hydrogen gas can be simultaneously obtained as surplus energy from the electrochemical reduction of water at the cathode if the RED system is equipped with proper venting and collecting facilities. Therefore, RED-driven water electrolysis system can be a promising solution not only for sustainable electric power but also for eco-friendly hydrogen production with high purity without $CO_2$ emission. The RED system in this study includes a high membrane voltage from more than 50 cells, neutral-pH water as the electrolyte, and an artificial NaCl solution as the feed water, which are more universal, economical, and eco-friendly conditions than previous studies on RED with hydrogen production. We measure the amount of hydrogen produced at maximum power of the RED system using a batch-type electrode chamber with a gas bag and evaluate the interrelation between the electric power and hydrogen energy with varied cell pairs. A hydrogen production rate of $1.1{\times}10^{-4}mol\;cm^{-2}h^{-1}$ is obtained, which is larger than previously reported values for RED system with simultaneous hydrogen production.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
• /
• v.56 no.6
• /
• pp.427-436
• /
• 2023

In the industry, it is recognized that human activities significantly lead to a large amount of wastewater, mainly due to the increased use of water and energy. As a result, the growing field of wastewater resource technology is getting more attention. The common technology for hydrogen production, water electrolysis, requires purified water, leading to the need for desalination and reprocessing. However, producing hydrogen directly from wastewater could be a more cost-effective option compared to traditional methods. To achieve this, a series of first-principle computational simulations were conducted to assess how waste nutrient ions affect standard electrolysis catalysts. This study focused on understanding the adsorption mechanisms of byproducts related to the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolysis, using Co₃O₄ as a typical non-precious metal catalyst. At the same time, efforts were made to develop a comprehensive free energy prediction model for more accurate predictions of OER results.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.34 no.2
• /
• pp.154-162
• /
• 2024

Anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are essential components in water electrolysis systems, serving to physically separate the generated hydrogen and oxygen gases while enabling the selective transport of hydroxide ions between electrodes. Key characteristics sought in AEMs include high ion conductivity and robust chemical and mechanical stability in alkaline. In this study, quaternized Poly(terphenyl piperidinium)/cellulose nanocrystals (qPTP/CNC) mixed matrix membrane was fabricated. The polymer matrix, PTP, was synthesized via super-acid polymerization, known for its excellent ion conductivity and alkaline durability. The qPTP/CNC membrane showed a dense and uniform morphology without significant voids or large aggregates at the polymer-nanoparticle interface. The qPTP/CNC membrane containing 2 wt% CNC demonstrated a high ion exchange capacity of 1.90 mmol/g, coupled with low water uptake (9.09%) and swelling ratio (5.56%). Additionally, the qPTP/CNC membrane showed significantly lower resistance and superior alkaline stability (384 hours at 50℃ in 1 M KOH) compared to the commercial FAA-3-50 membrane. These results highlight the potential of hydrophilic additive CNC in enhancing ion conductivity and alkaline durability of ion exchange membranes.

• Membrane Journal
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.79-96
• /
• 2020

Secondary energy conversion systems have been briskly developed owing to environmental issue and problems of fossil fuel. They are basically operated based on electro-chemical systems. In addition, ion exchange membranes are one of the significant factors to determine performance in their systems. Therefore, the ion exchange membranes in suitable conditions must be developed to improve the performance for the electro-chemical systems. These ion exchange membranes can be classified into various types such as cation exchange membrane, anion exchange membrane and bipolar membrane. Their membranes have distinct characteristics according to the chemical, physical and morphological structure. In this review, the types of ion exchange membranes and their fabrication processes are described with main characteristics. Moreover, applications of ion exchange membranes in newly developed energy conversion systems such as reverse electrodialysis, redox flow battery and water electrolysis process are described including their roles and requirements.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
• /
• v.34 no.5
• /
• pp.421-430
• /
• 2023

Fe-Ni-Pt nanocatalysts were loaded on carbon black powders which were synthesized by a spontaneous reduction reaction of iron (II) acetylacetonate, nickel (II) acetylacetonate and platinum (II) acetylacetonate. The morphology and the loading weight of Fe-Ni-Pt nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and thermogravimetric analyzer. The amount of Fe-Ni-Pt catalyst supported on the carbon black surface was about 6.42-9.28 wt%, and the higher the Fe content and the lower the Pt content, the higher the total amount of the metal catalyst supported. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller Analysis (BET) specific surface area of carbon black itself without metal nanoparticles supported was 233.9 m²/g, and when metal nanoparticles were introduced, the specific surface area value was greatly reduced. This is because the metal nanocatalyst particles block the pore entrance of the carbon black, and thereby the catalytic activity of the metal catalysts generated inside the pores is reduced. From the I-V curves, as the content of the Pt nanocatalyst increased, the electrolytic properties of water increased, and the activity of the metal nanocatalyst was in the order of Pt > Ni > Fe.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Surface Engineering Conference
• /
• 2016.11a
• /
• pp.151-151
• /
• 2016

수소는 친환경 에너지원으로 주목 받고 있으며 미래 화석연료의 고갈에 대비할 수 있는 물질이다. 수전해는 natural gas steam reforming 또는 coal gasification 같은 방법에 비해 공해 물질의 방출이 없어 미래지향적인 기술로 간주된다. 저온형 수전해는 크게 알칼리 수전해와 고분자 전해질막 수전해로 구분되며 각각의 기술은 장단점을 가지고 있다. 알칼리 수전해는 비백금계 물질을 촉매로 사용할 수 있는 이점이 있으나 알칼리 용액으로 인한 부식, 높은 과전압에 의한 효율저하 그리고 간헐적인 사용에 적합하지 않다. 고분자 전해질막 수전해는 간헐적인 사용이 용이하고 높은 에너지 밀도를 가지지만 산성분위기로 인한 백금계 촉매를 사용해야 하므로 수소 생산 비용이 증가하게 된다. 본 연구에서는 알칼리 수전해와 고분자 전해질막 수전해 방식의 이점을 최대한 이용하고 단점을 극복하기 위한 방법으로 음이온 교환막(anion exchange membrane, AEM)을 적용한 셀 구조를 소개한다. 본문에서는 AEM 수전해 단위 셀의 구성요소들인 AEM 종류, 가스 확산층의 밀도와 운전조건인 알칼리 수용액 농도, 온도의 조건을 다르게 하여 최상의 구성 요소 조건 및 운전조건을 알아보았다.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
• /
• v.43 no.3
• /
• pp.352-359
• /
• 2005

This work has studied the changes of pH in both of anodic and cathodic chambers of a divided cell due to the electrolytic split of water during the ammonia decomposition to nitrogen, and has studied the continuous decomposition characteristics of ammonia in a multi-cell stacked electrolyzer. The electrolytic decomposition of ammonia was much affected by the change of pH of ammonia solution which was caused by the water split reactions. The water split reaction occurred at pH of less than 8 in the anodic chamber with producing proton ions, and occurred at pH of more than 11 in the cathodic chamber with producing hydroxyl ions. The pH of the anodic chamber using an anion exchange membrane was sustained to be higher than that using a cation exchange membrane, which resulted in the higher decomposition of ammonia in the anodic chamber. By using the electrolytic characteristics of the divided cell, a continuous electrolyzer with a self-pH adjustment function was newly devised, where a portion of the ammonia solution from a pHadjustment tank was circulated through the cathodic chambers of the electrolyzer. It enhanced the pH of the ammonia solution fed from the pH-adjustment tank into the anodic chambers of the electrolyzer, which caused a higher decomposition yield of ammonia. And then, based on the electrolyzer, a salt-free ammonia decomposition process was suggested. In that process, ammonia solution could be continuously decomposed into the environmentally-harmless nitrogen gas up to 83％, when chloride ion was added into the ammonia solution.