In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis
Water electrolysis (WE) is a green technology for producing hydrogen gas without the emission of carbon dioxide. The ideal membrane materials in WE should be capable of transporting ions quickly and have gas barrier properties in harsh work environments. However, currently, no desirable measurement...
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Membranes |
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| author | Shuaimin Li Chuan Song Li Xu Yuxin Wang Wen Zhang |
| author_facet | Shuaimin Li Chuan Song Li Xu Yuxin Wang Wen Zhang |
| author_sort | Shuaimin Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Water electrolysis (WE) is a green technology for producing hydrogen gas without the emission of carbon dioxide. The ideal membrane materials in WE should be capable of transporting ions quickly and have gas barrier properties in harsh work environments. However, currently, no desirable measurement method has been developed for evaluating the gas barrier behavior of the membranes. Hence, an in-situ electrochemical method is developed to measure the gas permeability of membranes in the actual electrolysis environment, with the supersaturated state of H<sub>2</sub> in the electrolyte and H<sub>2</sub> bubbles during the electrolysis process. Four membranes, including Zirfon (a state-of-the-art alkaline WE membrane), polyphenylene sulfide fabric (PPS, a commercial alkaline WE membrane), FAA-3-PK-75 (a commercial anion-exchange membrane), and BILP-PE (a home-made composite membrane) were employed as the standard samples to perform the electrochemical measurement under different current densities, temperatures, and electrolyte concentrations. The results show that an increase in electrolytic current density or temperature or a decrease in KOH concentration can increase the H<sub>2</sub> permeability of the membrane. The two porous membranes, Zirfon and PPS, are more affected by the current density and KOH concentration, while the dense FAA-3-PK-75 and BILP-PE membranes have a stronger ability to hinder H<sub>2</sub> permeation. Under the conditions of 80 °C, 30 wt.% KOH, 101 kPa, and 400 mA·cm<sup>−2</sup>, the hydrogen permeability (×10<sup>10</sup> L·cm·cm<sup>−2</sup>·s<sup>−1</sup>) of Zirfon, PPS, FAA, and BILP-PE are 263, 367, 28.3, and 5.32, respectively. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5a376d18973d4e1a8c4fb7bc402ec4f5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2077-0375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Membranes |
| spelling | doaj-art-5a376d18973d4e1a8c4fb7bc402ec4f52025-08-20T03:47:57ZengMDPI AGMembranes2077-03752025-05-0115514710.3390/membranes15050147In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water ElectrolysisShuaimin Li0Chuan Song1Li Xu2Yuxin Wang3Wen Zhang4State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering and Low-Carbon Technology, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, ChinaWater electrolysis (WE) is a green technology for producing hydrogen gas without the emission of carbon dioxide. The ideal membrane materials in WE should be capable of transporting ions quickly and have gas barrier properties in harsh work environments. However, currently, no desirable measurement method has been developed for evaluating the gas barrier behavior of the membranes. Hence, an in-situ electrochemical method is developed to measure the gas permeability of membranes in the actual electrolysis environment, with the supersaturated state of H<sub>2</sub> in the electrolyte and H<sub>2</sub> bubbles during the electrolysis process. Four membranes, including Zirfon (a state-of-the-art alkaline WE membrane), polyphenylene sulfide fabric (PPS, a commercial alkaline WE membrane), FAA-3-PK-75 (a commercial anion-exchange membrane), and BILP-PE (a home-made composite membrane) were employed as the standard samples to perform the electrochemical measurement under different current densities, temperatures, and electrolyte concentrations. The results show that an increase in electrolytic current density or temperature or a decrease in KOH concentration can increase the H<sub>2</sub> permeability of the membrane. The two porous membranes, Zirfon and PPS, are more affected by the current density and KOH concentration, while the dense FAA-3-PK-75 and BILP-PE membranes have a stronger ability to hinder H<sub>2</sub> permeation. Under the conditions of 80 °C, 30 wt.% KOH, 101 kPa, and 400 mA·cm<sup>−2</sup>, the hydrogen permeability (×10<sup>10</sup> L·cm·cm<sup>−2</sup>·s<sup>−1</sup>) of Zirfon, PPS, FAA, and BILP-PE are 263, 367, 28.3, and 5.32, respectively.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/15/5/147gas barrierH<sub>2</sub> permeationwater electrolysisin-situ measurementelectrolyte membranesZirfon |
| spellingShingle | Shuaimin Li Chuan Song Li Xu Yuxin Wang Wen Zhang In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis Membranes gas barrier H<sub>2</sub> permeation water electrolysis in-situ measurement electrolyte membranes Zirfon |
| title | In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis |
| title_full | In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis |
| title_fullStr | In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis |
| title_short | In-Situ Measurement of Gas Permeability for Membranes in Water Electrolysis |
| title_sort | in situ measurement of gas permeability for membranes in water electrolysis |
| topic | gas barrier H<sub>2</sub> permeation water electrolysis in-situ measurement electrolyte membranes Zirfon |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/15/5/147 |
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