Journal publication – CNR-ITAE & Solvay

In September 2023, researchers from CNR-ITAE and Solvay Specialty Polymers published an article on the development of Ce-radical scavenger-based perfluorosulfonic acid Aquivion® membrane for high pressurised PEM electrolysers, shedding light on their findings and contribution towards the ADVANCEPEM project.  

 

Abstract

Ce-radical scavenger-based perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) Aquivion® membrane (C98 05S-RSP) was developed and assessed for polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyser applications. The membrane, produced by Solvay Specialty Polymers, had an equivalent weight (EW) of 980 g/eq and a thickness of 50 m to reduce ohmic losses at a high current density. The electrochemical properties and gas crossover through the membrane were evaluated upon the formation of a membrane-electrode assembly (MEA) in a range of temperatures between 30 and 90 ˚°C and at various differential pressures (ambient, 10 and 20 bars). Bare extruded (E98 05S) and reinforced (R98 05S) PFSA Aquivion® membranes with similar EWs and thicknesses were assessed for comparison in terms of their performance, stability and hydrogen crossover under the same operating conditions. The method used for the membrane manufacturing significantly influenced the interfacial properties, with the electrodes affecting the polarisation resistance and H2 permeation in the oxygen stream, as well as the degradation rate, as observed in the durability studies.

Figure 1 - Scheme of the experimental setup.

View the article here.