Electrochemical stack with solid electrolyte and method for making same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019044167-A1
Application number	US-201715667791-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 3, 2017
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Feb 7, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An electrochemical stack includes a solid electrolyte membrane as one of the components of a membrane electrode assembly. The membrane may have been formed during stack assembly via an in situ reaction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for forming an electrochemical stack comprising:
assembling a precursor stack comprising:
a metal layer comprising a reactant metal;
introducing a reactant gas into the precursor stack, wherein the reactant gas reacts with the reactant metal to form a solid electrolyte membrane in situ.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte membrane comprises a nitride; and wherein the reactant metal comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of lithium (Li), sodium (Na), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), and barium (Ba).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant metal is lithium.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant gas comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 ).

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte membrane comprises a metal oxide or a mixed-metal oxide.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the reactant metal comprises one or more elements selected from the group consisting of zirconium (Zr), yttrium (Y), scandium (Sc), cerium (Ce), and gadolinium; and wherein the reactant gas is oxygen (O 2 ) or ozone (O 3 ).

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte membrane comprises a fluoride, a sulfide, or an iodide; and wherein the reactant gas comprises fluorine (F 2 ), iodine (I 2 ), or hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S).

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant gas is introduced to the electrochemical stack at a temperature in the range of from 25° C. to 800° C.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid electrolyte membrane comprises lithium nitride; and wherein the reactant gas is introduced to the electrochemical stack at a temperature in the range of from 100° C. to 325° C.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactant gas is introduced to the electrochemical stack at a pressure in the range of from 1 bar to 10 bar.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the precursor stack further comprises a first catalyst electrode layer and a second catalyst electrode layer; wherein at least one of the first catalyst electrode layer and the second catalyst electrode layer comprises a ruthenium (Ru) catalyst

12 . A method for forming a solid electrolyte membrane, the method comprising:
providing a metal layer comprising a reactant metal; and providing a reactant gas to react with the reactant metal to form the solid electrolyte membrane.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the solid electrolyte membrane is formed in situ in an electrochemical cell.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reactant metal is selected from the group consisting of lithium (Li), magnesium (Mg), aluminum (Al), calcium (Ca), strontium (Sr), barium (Ba), or a mixture thereof.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reactant metal is lithium.

16 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the reactant gas comprises at least one gas selected from the group consisting of nitrogen (N 2 ) and ammonia (NH 3 ).

17 . A solid electrolyte membrane produced by the method of claim 11 .

18 . A system comprising a solid electrolyte membrane for an electrochemical stack;
wherein the solid electrolyte membrane is formed by an in situ chemical reaction between a reactant metal and a reactant gas when assembled within the electrochemical stack.

19 . The membrane of claim 18 , wherein the solid electrolyte formed is lithium nitride.

20 . An electrochemical device that forms a solid electrolyte membrane in situ according to the method of claim 11 .

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Desai Divyaraj
• Elrod Scott A
• Rivest Jessica Louis Baker

Classifications

• H01M8/10 Primary

  Fuel cells with solid electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M8/1072 Primary

  by chemical reactions, e.g. in situ polymerisation or in situ crosslinking · CPC title

• C25B1/27

  Ammonia · CPC title

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P70/50

  Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product · CPC title