Research Focus: Solutions for sustainable water electrolysis

One approach involves the paper-based manufacture of the electrode substrate. In this process, the green body is first produced in a manner similar to paper production, but with significantly higher filler content of titanium compounds, and is subsequently sintered. The expertise for this lies with Fraunhofer IFAM. This approach can significantly reduce costs on an industrial scale compared with the current production of sintered bodies or fibre-based titanium non-wovens. Another important cost factor is the corrosion protection of the anodically loaded electrodes. The “University of Chemistry and Technology Prague (UCTP)” is working on the production of titanium hydrides and on gaining a fundamental understanding of the corrosion mechanisms that occur during operation, with a view to extending the service life of electrolysers. The Process and Surface Technology Research Group led by Professor Frank Köster at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences is tasked with achieving the most efficient possible catalyst deposition on the porous transport layer. The aim is to use electroplating techniques to achieve a uniform coating of the surface with minute particles of iridium and ruthenium. The “University Politehnica Timisoara (UPT)” is responsible for characterising the catalyst activities and developing a recycling concept for the reprocessing of used electrolyser electrodes. The overarching aim of the project is to produce a demonstrator that combines all these approaches and can be tested at LeanCat. At the meeting in Dresden, it was already possible to mark important milestones on the way to this goal as having been achieved.