Design and Development of Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolyser and Nano Carbon supported Palladium Electrocatalyst

Abstract

Palladium supported on carbon (activated carbon, carbon black and carbon nanomaterials) has been investigated as a cathode electrocatalysts for PEM electrolyser application. The present study involves preparation, characterization and performance studies of Pd/C, various compositions of Pd on carbon support (i.e., 5wt%, 10wt%, 20wt% and 30wt%) has been prepared. The design and newlinedevelopment aspects of PEM water electrolyser have also been described. Carbon supports such as activated carbon (AC) and carbon newlineblack (CB) have been purchased and whereas Carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) have been prepared using chemical vapour deposition method and are used as support. A chemical reduction (polyol) method has been employed for the preparation of Pd/C in various proportions; RuO 2 is used as on anode side. The PEM membrane used is Nafion newline115 and the prepared electrocatalysts are made as membrane electrode assembly (MEA) by coating the electrocatalyst on the both newlinesides of membrane using air driven spray gun and hotpressed at 120 OC at 110 bar pressure. The MEAs are tested in inhouse fabricated newlinePEM cells of area 10 cm 2 (single cell), 50 cm 2 (double cell and five cell stack). The electrocatalysts are characterized using analytical techniques like SEM, EDS, ICP, BET surface area, cyclic voltammetry to determine the morphology, crystallinity, surface area, metal content, electrochemical activity and performance. The PEM water electrolyser experimental setup and a prototype of higher capacity has been designed and fabricated in-house.