Method for transporting nitride ions in an electrochemical cell

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10920327-B2
Application number	US-201715667814-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 16, 2021
Grant date	Feb 16, 2021

Abstract

A method for transporting nitride (N 3− ) ions in an electrochemical cell includes providing nitrogen to a first side of a solid electrolyte membrane to form nitride ions and transporting the nitride ions across the solid electrolyte membrane. The solid electrolyte membrane includes a metal nitride. The method may be used for ionically-mediated separation and/or compression of nitrogen or to form ammonia.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transporting nitride ions (N 3− ) across a solid electrolyte comprising a metal nitride in an electrochemical cell, the electrochemical cell comprising:
a first catalyst electrode layer;
a second catalyst electrode layer; and
the solid electrolyte between the first catalyst electrode layer and the second catalyst electrode layer;
the method comprising:
applying a voltage to the electrochemical cell;
providing nitrogen (N 2 ) to the first catalyst electrode layer, wherein the nitrogen reacts to form nitride ions at a surface of the first catalyst electrode layer; and
transporting the nitride ions across the solid electrolyte;

wherein the electrochemical cell is operated at a temperature in the range of from 150° C. to 250° C.;
wherein the nitrogen (N 2 ) is provided at a pressure in the range of from 1 bar to 10 bar; and
wherein the solid electrolyte comprises lithium nitride.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first catalyst electrode layer and the second catalyst electrode layer comprises an alkali promoted ruthenium catalyst.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal nitride electrolyte was formed in situ in an electrochemical cell.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrochemical cell is located in an electrochemical stack comprising a plurality of cells.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the first catalyst electrode layer and the second catalyst electrode layer comprises a ruthenium (Ru) catalyst.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein one of the first catalyst electrode layer and the second catalyst electrode layer does not comprise the ruthenium (Ru) catalyst.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Desai Divyaraj
• Vedharathinam Vedasri
• Rivest Jessica Louis Baker

Classifications

• C25B1/27

  Ammonia · CPC title

• B01J41/02

  Processes using inorganic exchangers · CPC title

• C25B11/091

  consisting of at least one catalytic element and at least one catalytic compound; consisting of two or more catalytic elements or catalytic compounds · CPC title

• C25B13/04 Primary

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C01C1/04

  Preparation of ammonia by synthesis (preparation or purification of gas mixtures for ammonia synthesis C01B3/025) · CPC title