# US 12,006,578 B2 · Electrochemical oxygen pumps utilizing an anion conducting polymer

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- Number: US 12,006,578 B2
- Document ID: US12006578B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/918,945
- Filed: 2018-03-12
- Published: 2018-07-19
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2015-11-23
- Assignees: Ffi Ionix IP, Inc.
- Applicants: Xergy Inc.
- Inventors: Bamdad Bahar; Zhefei Li; Richard Sherrer; Jacob Zerby
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12006578B2

## CPC

- C25B 1/04: by electrolysis of water
- B01D 53/326: {in electrochemical cells}
- C25B 9/23: comprising ion-exchange membranes in or on which electrode material is embedded
- C25B 11/00: Electrodes; Manufacture thereof not otherwise provided for
- B01D 3/14: Fractional distillation {or use of a fractionation or rectification column}
- B01D 53/047: Pressure swing adsorption
- B01D 53/22: by diffusion (manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00)
- B01D 2257/104: Oxygen
- Y02E 60/36: Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis
- C25B: ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES FOR THE PRODUCTION OF COMPOUNDS OR NON-METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR (anodic or cathodic protection C23F13/00; single-crystal growth C30B)
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

An electrochemical oxygen pump moves or pumps oxygen molecules with a unique anion conducting layer comprising an anion conducting polymer. These pumps can either be used as high precision oxygen flow meters or as oxygen filters. The system can be plumbed to have air as the inlet and the pump will selectively pump oxygen out, offering another way to remove oxygen from the air, along with distillation or pressure swing absorption.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrochemical oxygen pumping system comprising:
a) an electrochemical cell comprising:
i) an anode on an anode side and having an anode film layer disposed thereon;
ii) a cathode on a cathode side and having a cathode film layer disposed thereon;
wherein both the anode film layer and the cathode film layer have the molecular structure MO2 where M is selected from the group consisting of: platinum, silver, iridium, ruthenium, nickel, and cobalt;
iii) an anion conducting layer configured between said anode and said cathode and comprising an anion conducting polymer;
wherein the anion conducting polymer has functional groups;
wherein the functional groups include non-conjugated aliphatic amines;
wherein the anion conducting layer has a thickness of no more than 30 microns and that passively transports water from the anode side to the cathode side;
wherein the anion conducting layer comprises a support material;
wherein the anion conducting polymer is imbibed into the support material;
b) a power source coupled to the anode and cathode to provide an electrical potential across the anode and the cathode to initiate reaction of oxygen and water on the cathode to produce hydroxide that is transported across the anion conducting layer and reacted on the anode to produce oxygen and water, thereby pumping oxygen from the cathode side to the anode side.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 1, wherein the anion conducting polymer comprises a backbone polymer selected from the group consisting of: polyether ketone, polystyrene, polyolefins, perfluoronated polyolefin, polyphenolene oxide, or polybiphenyl alkylene.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 1, wherein the anion conducting polymer has piperidine functional groups.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 1, wherein the anode and cathode are coated with gold or titanium nitride.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 1, wherein the electrochemical cell further comprises a cathode gas diffusion layer coupled with the cathode and an anode gas diffusion layer coupled with the anode.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 1, further comprising an anode flow field coupled to the anode and a cathode flow field coupled to the cathode.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 6, where the anode flow field is coated with gold or titanium nitride.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 1, wherein the anion conducting layer has a thickness of no more than 20 microns and that passively transports water from the anode side to the cathode side.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 8, wherein the support material is a porous fluoropolymer membrane.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The electrochemical oxygen pump system of claim 9, wherein the porous fluoropolymer membrane comprises expanded polytetrafluoroethylene.