Electrolyzer bipolar plates and porous gas diffusion layer having an oxidatively stable and electrically conductive coating and method of making thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022396888-A1
Application number	US-202217833018-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 6, 2022
Priority date	Jun 9, 2021
Publication date	Dec 15, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer component selected from at least one of a bipolar plate or porous transport layer has an electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating of an electrically conductive metal nitride or an electrically conductive metal oxide on at least one surface thereof.

First claim

1 . A proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer component comprising at least one of a bipolar plate or porous transport layer, the electrolyzer component comprising an electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating comprising an electrically conductive metal nitride or an electrically conductive metal oxide on at least one surface of the electrolyzer component.

2 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises the electrically conductive metal nitride.

3 . The component of claim 2 , wherein the electrically conductive metal nitride comprises at least one of TiN, WN, or TaN.

4 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises the electrically conductive metal oxide.

5 . The component of claim 4 , wherein the electrically conductive metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of a metal rich titanium oxide having a formula TiO 2_x , where 0.1≤x≤0.9; dioxides of Sn or Pb; manganese oxide; metal rich zirconium oxide having a formula ZrO 2_x , where 0.1≤x≤0.9; rhenium oxide; iridium oxide; cobalt oxide; tungsten oxide; a mixed metal oxide; and combinations thereof.

6 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the coating comprises the electrically conductive metal oxide and the electrically conductive metal nitride.

7 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating has a thickness of about 0.2 microns to about 2 microns.

8 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises the bipolar plate.

9 . The component of claim 1 , wherein the component comprises the porous transport layer, and wherein the porous transport layer comprises a porous titanium sheet.

10 . A PEM electrolyzer, comprising:
an anode side flow plate, the anode side flow plate and the porous transport layer of claim 9 located on an anode side of the electrolyzer; a cathode side flow plate; a PEM polymer electrolyte located between the anode side flow plate and the cathode side flow plate; an anode electrode located between the porous transport layer and the PEM polymer electrolyte; a cathode side gas diffusion layer located between the PEM polymer electrolyte and the cathode side flow plate; and a cathode electrode located between the cathode side gas diffusion layer and the PEM polymer electrolyte.

11 . A method comprising coating a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer component comprising at least one of a bipolar plate or porous transport layer with an electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating comprising an electrically conductive metal nitride or an electrically conductive metal oxide on at least one surface thereof.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating comprises the electrically conductive metal nitride.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrically conductive metal nitride comprises at least one of TiN, WN, or TaN.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises the electrically conductive metal oxide.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the electrically conductive metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of a metal rich titanium oxide having a formula TiO 2-x , where 0.1≤x≤0.9; dioxides of Sn or Pb; manganese oxide; metal rich zirconium oxide having a formula ZrO 2_x , where 0.1≤x≤0.9; rhenium oxide; iridium oxide; cobalt oxide; tungsten oxide; a mixed metal oxide; and combinations thereof.

16 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating comprises the electrically conductive metal nitride and the electrically conductive metal nitride.

17 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating has a thickness of about 0.2 microns to about 2 microns.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyzer component comprises the bipolar plate.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrolyzer component comprises the porous transport layer, and wherein the porous transport layer comprises a porous titanium sheet.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising incorporating the porous transport layer into a PEM electrolyzer.

21 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating step is accomplished by sputtering.

22 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the coating step is accomplished by stamping, a powder metallurgy process, or a tape casting method.

23 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrically conductive and oxidatively stable coating is formed in-situ.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein:
the component comprises the porous transport layer; and the porous transport layer comprises a porous titanium sheet formed by powder metallurgy.

Assignees

• Ohmium International Inc

Inventors

• Karuppaiah Chockkalingam
• Ballantine Arne

Classifications

• C25B11/036

  Bipolar electrodes · CPC title

• C25B11/032 Primary

  Gas diffusion electrodes · CPC title

• C25B11/052

  Electrodes comprising one or more electrocatalytic coatings on a substrate · 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

• C25B9/23

  comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded · CPC title