Porous Separators Coated With Boron-Containing Species For Electrolyzers
AssigneeDioxycle
InventorsEdward Luke Malins, Renjie Liu, Thomas A. R. Horton, David Wakerley
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Abstract
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for creating and using separators, containing boron species, that are used in electrolyzers. A disclosed separator for an electrolyzer cell includes a porous substrate having pores which provide a fluid path through the porous substrate from a first side of the porous substrate to an opposite side of the porous substrate, which is formed of one or more hydrophobic polymers or copolymers, and a coating that coats the pores of the porous substrate while maintaining the fluid path, where the coating is formed of an alcohol-containing polymer reacted with a boron-containing species.
Claims31
A separator for an electrolyzer cell comprising:
- a porous substrate having pores which provide a fluid path through the porous substrate from a first side of the porous substrate to an opposite side of the porous substrate and formed of one or more hydrophobic polymers or copolymers;
- and
- a coating that coats the pores of the porous substrate while maintaining the fluid path, wherein the coating is formed of an alcohol-containing polymer and a boron-containing species that is reacted with the alcohol-containing polymer;
- wherein the boron-containing species is formed of boric acid and a base simultaneously present within the same crosslinking step.
A method of forming a separator, comprising:
- creating a porous substrate from a hydrophobic homopolymer or copolymer;
- submerging the porous substrate into a nonaqueous solvent whereby the pores in the porous substrate are filled with the nonaqueous solvent;
- adsorbing an alcohol-containing polymer onto the porous substrate including inside the pores contained therein;
- and
- reacting the alcohol-containing polymer with a boron-containing species.
An electrolysis reactor comprising:
- an aqueous or gaseous anode area with an aqueous or gaseous oxidation substrate;
- an aqueous or gaseous cathode area with an aqueous species or a gaseous species as a reduction substrate;
- and
- a separator separating the anode area and the cathode area while allowing ionic migration between the anode area and cathode area;
- wherein:
- (i) the separator is a polymer having a coating;
- (ii) the coating is formed of an alcohol-containing polymer and a boron-containing species that is reacted with the alcohol-containing polymer;
- and (iii) the boron-containing species is formed of boric acid and a base simultaneously present within the same crosslinking step.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.