Robust Low-cost Air Diffusion Cathodes for Water Treatment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024384422-A1
Application number	US-202418665537-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 15, 2024
Priority date	May 16, 2023
Publication date	Nov 21, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A gas diffusion air-cathode is made with a non-reacting metal as the supporting conducting substrate, such as in the form of a stainless steel mesh.

First claim

1 . A gas diffusion air-cathode comprising an electrolyte non-reacting, non-corroding metal configured as a mesh, as the supporting conducting substrate, configured to produce H2O2 with high Faradaic efficiency.

2 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the metal is stainless steel.

3 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the metal is stainless steel in alloy of iron containing at least at least 10.5% (mass fraction) Cr and maximum 1.2% (mass fraction) C, as described in ISO 15510:2014.

4 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the mesh comprises a non-woven mat of metal fibers or metal-coated fibers.

5 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the mesh comprises a nested cloth, woven mesh, woven cloth, foam, porous manifolds.

6 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the mesh comprises a 3D printed porous configuration.

7 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the metal is in the form of a coating, that is one metal on another, or metal coated on non-metal substrate.

8 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , wherein the air-cathode comprises an air-facing side wherein the surface of the mesh comprises multiple layers of graphite powder in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) solution, and a water-facing side wherein the surface of the mesh comprise a first layer of graphite powder in a PTFE solution, and a second layer of a mixture of carbon black pearls, PTFE solution, and propanol.

9 . An air-cathode of claim 2 , wherein the air-cathode comprises an air-facing side wherein the surface of the mesh comprises multiple layers of graphite powder in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) solution, and a water-facing side wherein the surface of the mesh comprise a first layer of graphite powder in a PTFE solution, and a second layer of a mixture of carbon black pearls, PTFE solution, and propanol.

10 . An air-cathode of claim 3 , wherein the air-cathode comprises an air-facing side wherein the surface of the mesh comprises multiple layers of graphite powder in a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) solution, and a water-facing side wherein the surface of the mesh comprise a first layer of graphite powder in a PTFE solution, and a second layer of a mixture of carbon black pearls, PTFE solution, and propanol.

11 . An air-cathode of claim 1 , disposed in an electrolysis cell configured as a two-chamber electrochemical reactor, with the chambers separated by a cation-exchange membrane.

12 . A method comprising electrolysis using a gas diffusion air-cathode of claim 1 .

13 . A method of reducing toxic metalloid content of a medium comprising electrolysis using a gas diffusion air-cathode of claim 1 .

14 . A method of producing H2O2 in water, for purification by advanced oxidation with hydroxyl radical (“OH*”), generated from H2O2 either with UV, or electrochemical activation of H2O2, using a gas diffusion air-cathode of claim 1 .

15 . A method comprising producing H2O2 with a gas diffusion air-cathode of claim 1 .

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Gadgil Ashok J
• Bandaru Siva Rama Satyam

Classifications

• C25B1/30

  Peroxides · CPC title

• C25B11/095

  at least one of the compounds being organic · CPC title

• C25B11/032 Primary

  Gas diffusion electrodes · CPC title

• C02F1/46109

  Electrodes · CPC title

• C02F2001/46166

  Gas diffusion electrodes · CPC title