Investigating Mass Transfer Relationships in Stereolithography 3D Printed Electrodes for Redox Flow Batteries

Porous electrodes govern the electrochemical performance and pumping requirements in redox flow batteries, yet conventional carbon-fiber-based porous have not been tailored to sustain of liquid-phase electrochemistry. 3D printing is an effective approach manufacturing deterministic architectures, enabling tuning pressure drop. In this work, model grid structures are manufactured with stereolithography followed by carbonization tested as battery electrode materials. Microscopy, tomography, spectroscopy, fluid dynamics, diagnostics employed investigate resulting properties, mass transport, drop ordered lattice structures. The influence direction, pillar geometry, field type on cell investigated transfer vs. structure correlations elucidated. It found that direction impacts through a change morphology, enhanced for diagonally printed electrodes. Furthermore, rates within improved helical or triangular shapes using interdigitated designs. This study shows potential manufacture customized scaffolds, which could enable multiscale superior low losses.