Alkaline stable membranes for anion exchange membrane electrolyzers

While Sustainion anion exchange membranes (AEM) are market leaders, improvements are needed if one wishes to operate electrolyzers at a reduced KOH composition. The objective of this project is to create new membranes with improved properties. Three new membranes were created in Phase I. The new membranes had double the strength of our current Sustainion membranes, and 40% higher ion conductivity. Tests in a alkaline water electrolyzer circulating 0.3 M KOH showed that the new membranes lowered the voltage needed to maintain 1 A/cm2 by 180 mV compared to our standard membranes. The Phase II work will develop quality control procedures and roll-to-roll manufacturing so that the new membranes can be sold commercially. We will also develop Sustainion Analogs with stronger polymer backbones to further improve the properties of our membranes. We expect to bring the new membranes into the marketplace as part of our Phase II efforts, leading to additional sales.