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Platinized Ultra-thin Titanium Porous Transfer Layer

Product Code: 11050018

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Platinized ultra-thin titanium (Grade 2 based)porous transfer layer is one of the thinnest products on the market that can be used as the anode diffusion media in standard PEM electrolyzers.  Metallic or titanium-based electrodes are primarily used in standard PEM electrolyzers as the flow field or diffusion material, particularly on the oxygen (anode) side and it is essential that such products have better mass transport and a smaller footprint.  This porous transfer layer achieves that. 

Since electrolyzer hardwares cannot use carbon-based gas diffusion layers (GDLs) at the anode because the carbon will immediately oxidize to CO2 (if the medium is acidic) or carbonate ions (if the medium is basic) during the reaction.  Titanium porous transfer layer becomes an ideal candidate as the diffusion medium. A titanium porous transfer layer also provides electrical contact between the anode catalyst layer and bipolar plate or current collector component at the anode.

This product has a thickness of ~0.010" (250 microns).  While most industrial applications operate their electrolyzers in anode-fed mode, this product is also an ideal diffusion medium for researchers conducting cathode-fed electrolyzer research.

For unitized fuel cells or electrolyzers or regenerative electrochemical devices systems, titanium fiber felt can be used at anode or cathode as the diffusion medium. Electrochemical oxygen concentrators, electrochemical inerters, certain classes of batteries (such as redox flow batteries) can also benefit from this product as the diffusion medium regardless of the nature of the reactants.  For applications that contain salts, acids, or bases, care needs to be given that those chemical compounds do not interact with the titanium porous transfer layer in a negative way (such as surface oxidation, chemical dissolution, etc.).

 

When Should I use a Platinized Ultra-thin Titanium Porous Transfer Layer?

Untreated titanium porous transfer will not be consumed like a carbon Gas Diffusion Layer (GDL) will. However, the presence of oxygen does have an impact if the electrolyzer is being operated at high pressures (1 bar to 3 bars). The untreated titanium surface will quickly form an electrically insulated oxide layer (TiO2) on the surface of the of the small-diameter fibers under high O2 pressures. This oxide coating will eventually affect the efficiency of the overall system acting as an electrical insulator and it will increase the interfacial resistance in the cell, lowering the electrochemical performance.

The forming of this oxide coating can be prevented by applying a gold or platinum coating. The surface platinization of titanium generates a coating that is electrically conductive and chemically stable under regular electrolysis conditions. Thereby, extending the lifetime of the titanium, which is ideal for applications that demand high performance and long lifetime. Prevention of the formation of TiO2 will greatly stabilize the electrochemical performance of the electrolyzer or the intended electrochemical device.

Function of the Platinum Coating for This Product
The main functionality of the platinum coating is to maintain the electrical conductivity of the substrate itself for demanding applications such as longer operational lifetime or pressurized electrolyzer (up to 100 psi) applications.  In the industry, it has been observed that platinized ultra-thin titanium porous transfer layer products can be used at the anode side of the PEM electrolyzer hardware at such pressure values.  Higher pressures than 100 psi would create safety issues for titanium substrate in presence of pure oxygen even if the environment is fully wetted.  Platinum coating does not have a continuous layer for its structure.  The estimated platinum metal loading for this product is approximately 80-100 micrograms per cm2 of the substrate's physical dimensions.

Catalytic Activity of the Platinum Coating for this Product
The platinum coating in this product does not have any catalytic activity.  Catalysis requires the material of interest to have sufficient surface defects and also sufficient loading for the catalytically active component.  Platinum particles in the coating does not have the essential surface defects and has zero catalytic activity for most chemical or electrochemical reactions and hence, this product should not be used for catalysis reactions or applications that require catalytically active materials.

Specifications of Ultra-thin Titanium Porous Transfer Layer:

• Thickness: 0.01" (10 mils or ~250 micrometers)
• Platinum loading: 60-80 micrograms per cm2
• Average pore size: 5-10 micron
• Porosity: ~30%

 

Performance of Ultra-thin Titanium Porous Transfer Layer in a PEM Electrolyzer Cell:

The performance of this product inside a PEM electrolyzer cell would be similar to the performance of pristine ultra-thin titanium porous transfer layer.

This product is usually available as in-stock item, otherwise the lead times would be around 4-6 weeks.

Gas Diffusion Layer Properties
Porosity ~ 30%

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