Capabilities

Capabilities

Advanced Electrode and Solid Electrolyte Materials for Elevated Temperature Water Electrolysis

Laboratory

Idaho National Laboratory (INL)

Capability Expert

Dong Ding, Qian Zhang, Wei Wu

Class

Benchmarking
Characterization
Material Synthesis
Process and Manufacturing Scale-Up

Node Readiness Category

1: High-Temperature Electrolysis (HTE)

Description

Hydrogen production via water electrolysis using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) at elevated temperatures has attracted considerable attention because of its favorable thermodynamics, kinetics as well as high cost-scaling factor. It is thus considered the most efficient and low-cost option when distributed/small scale hydrogen generation is required, especially from renewables. SOEC systems appear poised for commercialization, but widespread market acceptance/penetration will require continuous innovation of materials to enhance system lifetime and reduce cost. These novel materials are required to possess unique compositions, structures, morphologies, and architectures that promote the fast transport of ionic and electronic defects, facilitate rapid surface electrochemical kinetics, and enhance durability under realistic operating conditions.

A combinatorial approach is employed to evaluate/develop/benchmark advanced electrolyte and electrode materials, and to optimize the electrode microstructure and to modify the surface of existing electrodes with more active and robust nano-structured catalysts as well as to implement the integration of these cell components. Both protonic conducting and oxygen ion conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells are developed (p-SOEC and o-SOEC) at the electrochemical processing and electrocatalysis (EPEC) laboratory. In addition to o-SOEC, the EPEC lab strived to reduce operating temperature via p-SOEC, which allows better integration with renewable and/or nuclear energy for producing hydrogen economically at large-scale and to mitigate the high degradation rate and limited lifespan issues. INL capability experts in this area have a long history in developing electrode and electrolyte materials for various fuel cells using both conventional and high-throughput methodologies. The EPEC laboratory is capable of fabricating small button cells for fundamental study to single unit cells (SUC, e.g. 5 x 5 cm2 or 10 x 10 cm2), the standard units for industrial stack, with specified electrode microstructure and porosity. The node has demonstrated extensively supportive efforts for industry, university and national laboratory partners by all means of collaborations.

Capability Bounds‎

 Existing capability ranges from materials discovery, synthesis, characterization, high-throughput materials testing, and electrochemical evaluation. The special emphasis is placed on the capability of scaling-up (up to 20 x 20 cm2 SUC) including but not limited to cost-effective high temperature roll-to-roll (up to 1700oC), and solid oxide additive manufacturing for electrode-supported or electrolyte-support cells. The unique high temperature ultra-fast sintering system (e.g. benchtop and industrial scale electric field assisted sintering) can significantly reduce the sintering temperatures of the electrochemical cells.

Unique Aspects‎

INL has recruited industrial experts with broad knowledge in developing advanced materials for solid oxide cells (SOCs), including high-throughput combinatorial materials discovery, scale-up, cell manufacturing, and electrochemical testing. The fabrication capability with cutting edge facilities and quality control/quality assurance enables to bridge the gaps between academia and industry by promptly adopting materials and catalysts innovations developed by the former and providing the scaling-up experience and recommendations to the latter.

Availability‎

Apart from materials/catalysts synthesis, high-throughput testing (thirty-four electrochemical testing stands for button cells, and five testing kilns for SUC/short stack, equipped with multi-channel testing fixture/reactors to meet varied testing conditions and requirements) allows quick materials screening and selection, enabling prompt material/catalyst R&D. The laboratory also has capability of material/catalyst property characterization including 3D optical profilometer, high steam thermogravimetric analysis, temperature programmed desorption/reduction/oxidation (TPD/TPR/TPO), isotope exchange, pulse chemisorption analyses, operando/in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis, particle size distribution analysis, thermal-/Chemical-expansion measurement, electrical conductivity relaxation (ECR), Coulometric titration technique and product gas analysis based on mass-spectroscopy and gas-chromatography. We also have capability of electrode engineering and diagnosis (EED), facilitating investigation of the microstructural evolution, relating to the performance change by both experimental observation and computational work including tomography, CT-scan (micro and nano), 3D reconstruction, density function theory, phase field, continuum modeling, and Multiphysics modeling.

Benefit‎

Water electrolysis cells operated at elevated temperatures (400-850C) can overcome the kinetic challenges of low temperature electrolysis and offer high energy efficiency. Advanced materials design and discovery are essential in improving the overall system efficiency at high hydrogen production rates, reducing cost, and efficiently using renewable and industrial excess heats.

Images

High temperature Roll-to-Roll (HT-R2R) & Solid Oxide Additive Manufacturing (SOAM) equipment

Figure 1. High temperature Roll-to-Roll (HT-R2R) & Solid Oxide Additive Manufacturing (SOAM)

High-throughput materials testing equipment

Figure 2. High-Throughput Materials Testing for half cells, model cells, symmetrical cells and full cells (HTMT)

Elevated Temperature ElectroCatalysis (ETEC) equipment

Figure 3. Elevated Temperature ElectroCatalysis (ETEC)

Advanced synthesis equipment and a bulk supply of powders for testing

Figure 4. Advanced synthesis and bulk supply of powders (ASBSP).

Electrode Engineering and Diagnosis (EED) renders

Figure 5. Electrode Engineering and Diagnosis (EED)

References‎

  1. W. Bian, W. Wu, D. Ding, et al.  Revitalizing interface in protonic ceramic cells by acid etch. Nature. 604 (2022) 479-485.
  2. W. Tang, H.  Luo, D. Ding, et al. An unbalanced battle in excellence:  Revealing effect of Ni/Co occupancy on water splitting and oxygen reduction reactions in triple-conducting oxides for protonic ceramic electrochemical cells. Small. 18 (2022) 2201953.
  3. W. Tang, S. Das, D. Ding, et al. Electrical, thermal, and H2O and CO2 poisoning behaviors of PrNi0.5Co0.5O3-δ electrode for intermediate temperature protonic ceramic electrochemical cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 47 (2022) 21817-21827.
  4. W. Bian, W. Wu, D. Ding, et al.   Regulation of cathode mass and charge transfer by structural 3D engineering for protonic ceramic fuel cell at 400oC. Advanced Functional Materials. 31 (2021) 2102907.
  5. Q. Zhang, S. Barnett and P. Voorhees, Migration of Inclusions In A Matrix Due To A Spatially Varying Interface Energy, Scripta Materialia 206 (2022)
  6. Q. Zhang, Q.-Y. Liu, B.-K. Park, S. Barnett and P. Voorhees, The oxygen partial pressure in solid oxide electrolysis cells with multilayer electrolytes, Acta Materialia 213 (2021) 116928
  7. C Vera, H. Ding, D. Ding, et al. A Mini-Review on Proton Conduction of BaZrO3-based Perovskite Electrolytes. Journal of Physics: Energy. 3 (2021) 032019.
  8. W. Feng, W. Wu, D. Ding, et al. Exploring the structural uniformity and integrity of protonic ceramic thin film electrolyte using wet powder spraying. Journal of Power Sources Advances. 11 (2021) 100067
  9. S. Alia, D. Ding, A. McDaniel, F. Toma, H. Dinh. How to make clean Hydrogen AWSM: The Advanced Water Splitting Materials Consortium. The Electrochemical Society Interface, 30 (2021) 49.
  10. W. Feng, W. Wu, D. Ding, et al. Exploring the structural uniformity and integrity of protonic ceramic thin film electrolyte using wet powder spraying. Journal of Power Sources Advances, 11, p.100067(2021).
  11. Y. Zhou, D. Ding, M. Liu, et al. An efficient bifunctional air electrode for reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells. Advanced Functional Materials. 31 (2021) 2105386.
  12. Y. Zhou, D.Ding, M. Liu, et al. An active and Robust Air Electrode for reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells. ACS Energy Letter. 6 (2021) 1511-1520.
  13. J. Wrubel, D. Ding, T. Zhu, et al.  Modeling the Performance and Faradaic Efficiency of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells using Doped Barium Zirconate Perovskite electrolytes. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 46 (2021) 11511-11522.
  14. Q. Zhang, B.-K. Park, S. Barnett and P. Voorhees, The Role of The Ceria Barrier Layer In The Degradation Of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells, Appl. Phys. Lett. 117, 123906 (2020) [Editor's Pick]
  15. B.-K. Park, R. Scipioni, Q. Zhang, D. Cox, P. W. Voorhees, and S. A. Barnett, Tuning electrochemical and transport processes to achieve extreme performance and efficiency in solid oxide cells, J. Mater. Chem. A, (2020), 8, 11687
  16. Q. Liu, Q. Zhang, P. Voorhees and S. Barnett, Effect of Direct-Current Operation On The Electrochemical Performance and Structural Evolution of Ni-YSZ Electrodes, J. Phys.: Energy 2 (2020) 014006
  17. H. Ding, W. Wu, D. Ding, et al. Self-Sustainable Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells Using A Triple-Phase Conducting Electrode for Hydrogen and Power Production. Nature Communications. 11 (2020) 1907.
  18. W. Tang, W. Bian, D. Ding, et al.  Understanding of A-site Deficiency in Layered Perovskites:  Promotion of Dual Reaction Kinetics for Water Oxidation and Oxygen Reduction in Protonic Ceramic Electrochemical Cells. Journal of Materials Chemistry A. 8 (2020) 14600-14608
  19. S. Rajendran, D. Ding, L. Araba, et al. Tri-doped BaCeO3-BaZrO3 as a chemically stable electrolyte with high proton-conductivity for intermediate temperature solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 12 (2020) 38275-38284.
  20. W. Feng, W. Wu, D. Ding, et al. Manufacturing Techniques of Thin Electrolyte for Planar Solid Oxide Electrochemical Cells. The Electrochemical Society Interface. 29 (2020) 47.
  21. B.-K. Park, Q. Zhang, P. Voorhees and S. Barnett, Conditions for Stable Operation of Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells: Oxygen Electrode Effects, Energy Environ. Sci., 2019, 12, 3053-3062
  22. H. Ding, W. Wu, D. Ding.  Advancement of Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Fuel Cells and Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). ECS Transactions. 91 (2019) 1029-1034.
  23. K. Pan, D. Ding, E. Wachsman, et al. Evolution of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells via Fast Interfacial Crossover. ACS Applied Energy Materials. 2 (2019) 4069-4074.
  24. R. Wang, D. Ding, M. Tucker, et al. Approaches for Co-Sintering Metal-Supported BZCY Proton-Conducting Solid Oxide Cells. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 44 (2019) 13768-13776
  25. D. Ding, W. Wu, T. He, et al. A Novel Low-Thermal-Budget Approach for Co-Production of Ethylene and Hydrogen via Electrochemical Non-Oxidative Deprotonation of Ethane. Energy & Environmental Science, 11 (2018) 1710-1716.
  26. W. Wu, T. He, D. Ding, et al. 3D Self-Architectured Steam Electrode Enabled Efficient and Durable Hydrogen Production in A Proton Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell at Temperatures Lower than 600oC. Advanced Science, 11 (2018) 1870166.
  27. W Wu, D Ding, T. He. Development of high performance intermediate temperature proton-conducting solid oxide electrolysis cells. ECS Transaction, 80 (2017) 167-173.
  28. D. Ding, M. Liu, et al.  Enhancing SOFC cathode performance by surface modification through infiltration. Energy & Environmental Science, 2 (2014) 552-575.
  29. D. Ding, M. Liu, et al.  Efficient electro-catalysts for enhancing surface activity and stability of SOFC cathodes, Advanced Energy Materials, 9 (2013) 1149-1154
  30. T. He, D. Ding, Wei Wu. Methods and systems for hydrogen gas production through water electrolysis, and related electrolysis cells. US Patent (No. 11,198,941), 2021
  31. D. Ding, H. Ding, W. Wu. Reversible Solid oxide Cell Operated with A High-Performing and Durable Anode Material for hydrogen and power generation at intermediate temperatures. US Patent Application (16/560, 719), 2019
  32. D. Ding, M. Liu. Electro-Catalytic conformal coatings and method for making the same. US Patent (US9914649B2), 2018