▲ Schematic diagram of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis stack (left) and long-term durability performance evaluation graph (right) (Image courtesy of Korea Institute of Materials Science)



Localization of anion exchange membrane water electrolysis stack technology
Reduced dependence on imports of water electrolysis materials and components

A domestic research team has succeeded in developing a non-precious metal-based, long-life, high-efficiency anion exchange membrane water electrolysis stack technology for the first time in Korea.

Dr. Seungmok Choi's research team at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) announced on the 11th that they developed highly active and durable non-precious metal catalyst and electrode materials and high-performance anion exchange materials through convergence research with Dr. Jangyong Lee's research team at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT), and applied them to a water electrolysis system.

This technology was developed by combining the synthesis technology for high-activity and high-durability non-precious metal catalyst materials, large-area electrode process technology, membrane electrode assembly manufacturing technology, and stack assembly and operation technology of the Korea Institute of Materials Science, with the manufacturing technology for anion exchange materials and polymer separation membranes of the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology, thereby localizing all core material components.

The joint research team applied this technology to a commercial large-area multi-cell stack, achieving a hydrogen generation efficiency of 75.6% based on lower heating value, a power consumption of 44 kW/h required to produce 1 kg of hydrogen, and continuous operation of 2,000Achieved a performance reduction rate of 0.2% over 0 hours.

Existing research had limitations in that the developed materials could not be applied to water electrolysis systems and were limited to performance evaluations at the material level.

The joint research team succeeded in demonstrating research results at the demonstration level by applying core source materials and components, going beyond research at the material and minicell level, to a commercially viable stack.

Materials Science and Engineering was able to develop a highly durable oxygen generating electrode with 1.5 times better activity than existing electrodes by manufacturing a uniform large-area electrode using a decal coating method with a developed non-precious metal cobalt-copper (CuCo) oxide catalyst and removing weakly bound impurities (catalysts) by increasing the reaction active area of the electrode.

▲ Large-area oxygen generation electrode and hydrogen generation electrode (left) and surface-treated novel oxygen generation electrode (eCCO) and conventional oxygen generation electrode (right) (Image courtesy of Korea Institute of Materials Science)

Meanwhile, the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology developed a polycarbazole-based QPC-TMA with a reinforced main chain structure and improved ion conductivity and durability compared to existing anion exchange materials, and expanded the anion exchange membrane to a large area to make it suitable for water electrolysis systems.

Finally, the Institute of Materials Science fabricated a membrane electrode assembly using the developed electrode and anion exchange membrane, and verified its performance in a small-area unit cell.

In addition, by applying this to a commercially viable, large-area circular 3-cell stack, high hydrogen generation efficiency and low performanceWe developed a stable anion exchange membrane water electrolysis stack with a reduced rate.

The global market size for water electrolysis for green hydrogen production is expected to reach approximately 1,800 trillion won by 2030.

Although the water electrolysis market is expanding, with the launch of a 2.5MW-class water electrolysis-based hydrogen production base construction project in Korea, there is a tendency to rely on imports for water electrolysis-related materials and components.

This development involves applying source materials and components to large-area commercial stacks, and is expected to not only achieve import substitution effects through the localization of materials, components, and systems but also enable exports to overseas markets.

Choi Seung-mok, a principal researcher at the Korea Institute of Materials Science, stated, “This research achievement, which developed a long-life, high-durability water electrolysis stack using domestic technology, has resolved one of the most critical challenges in the commercialization of water electrolysis systems.” He added, “We expect that the commercialization of this technology will lead to the localization of water electrolysis materials and components, as well as result in leading the global water electrolysis market.”