Evaluation of Diaphragms and Membranes as Separators for Alkaline Water Electrolysis

The separator is a critical component for the performance of alkaline water electrolysis as it ensures ionic contact between electrodes and prevents product gases from mixing. While conductivity affects cell voltage, permeability dissolved influences gas impurity. Currently, diaphragms are used separators, pore system which filled with electrolyte solution to enable exchange ions. breakthrough phase can be prevented up specific differential pressure. A drawback requirement highly concentrated maintain high conductivity. usage anion-exchange membranes could solve this problem. However, long-term stability such materials remains unproven. This study compares two pre-commercial diaphragms, an membrane, ion-solvating membrane state-of-the-art diaphragm Zirfon TM Perl UTP 500. Besides physical characterization, material samples were evaluated electrochemically determine ohmic resistance impurities. results show that thinner outperforms reference polymer compete material.