THE POSSIBILITY OF ELECTROLYZER WITH A SOLID POLYMER ELECTROLYTE START AT LOW TEMPERATURES

The paper deals with the research that covers the possibility of using ethanol in concentrations up to 40 vol. % as an anode depolarizer for the cell with solid polymer electrolyte (PEM) and in order to ensure its start at low temperatures. Platinum, iridium and a solid solution of Pt-Ru (1:1 at. %) were used as the anode catalyst, and Pt on Vulcan XC-72 and Pt-Ru were used as the cathode one. It is shown that in all cases by using water-ethanol solutions with concentrations of ethanol up to 40 vol. % the cell voltage generally increased due to the increase of membrane resistance and decrease of rate of the cathodic process of platinum catalyst passivation/poisoning by ethanol and its oxidation products. Some negative impact has a stronger swell of the membrane-electrode unit in a solution of ethanol, which leads to its partial destruction. The energy consumption for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis of alcoholic solutions is lower than by water electrolysis, though the economic feasibility of this process is doubtful. The research demonstrates the electrolysis cell can withstand the freezing at the temperatures in the range of –15 to –20^oC. Moreover, the resistance of the membrane in water-ethanol solutions (about 40 vol. %) is not critical at these temperatures. The feed of water-ethanol solutions in the electrolytic cell allows one to start the electrolysis of water at these temperatures at a voltage of 2,0–2,2 V and currents of 0,07–0,13 A/cm². This ensures the ‘cold start’ and subsequent self-heating of the electrolysis cell and further using deionized water.

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