Subproject: Characterization and coating of catalyst powders, CCS and CCMs (IEK-9) and optimization of porous transport electrodes (IEK-11)

The realization of an energy economy based on green hydrogen as an essential component in Germany requires large capacities of efficient, cost-effective electrolysers.

The alkaline and PEM electrolysers currently on the market are to be further improved in terms of performance and sustainability through new concepts. One objective of the H2Giga lead project is to advance the technology for next-generation electrolysers with anion exchange membranes (AEM electrolysers) that can be operated with precious metal-free catalysts.

Objective

In the joint project AEM-Direkt, the scientific basis is being developed to identify suitable coating technologies for the production of catalyst coated membranes (CCMs) and catalyst coated substrates (CCSs) as central components of nickel-based AEM electrolysers with innovative catalysts.

Core work packages are analytical work for the comparative evaluation of the coating quality according to manufacturing process, experimental continuous operation of the components in electrolyzers with subsequent analyses of the operational stability of the components and modeling.

The scientific tasks of IEK-9 are the identification, development and application of suitable characterization and analysis methods that contribute to the evaluation of the coating technologies, as well as work on the comparative analysis of the (continuous) operating behaviour of the electrolysers equipped with the CCMs and CCSs produced using various coating technologies.

The research network is part of the H2Giga lead project.