Integrated membrane electrode structure and preparation method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an integrated membrane electrode structure and a preparation method thereof. The integrated membrane electrode structure comprises a first polar plate, a second polar plate; the mold body is located between the first polar plate and the second polar plate, the mold body comprises an exchange membrane and at least two buffer pieces, the exchange membrane is located between the two buffer pieces, and the exchange membrane and the two buffer pieces are integrally formed. The buffer pieces are arranged between the first polar plate and the mold body and between the second polar plate and the mold body, so that the shearing effect of the polar plate or the diffusion layer on the proton membrane can be buffered during working, the failure risk of the tank is reduced, good sealing can be formed between the polar plate and the membrane electrode, and the leakage risk of the whole tank is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of water electrolysis, and in particular to an integrated membrane electrode structure and a preparation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Membrane electrode is a device that uses the principle of membrane selective permeability to electrolyze water to produce hydrogen or oxygen. The membrane electrode uses two membranes to divide the electrolyte solution into two parts: the cationic membrane chamber and the anionic membrane chamber. The two membrane chambers are connected by two electrodes. When a certain voltage is applied, water molecules are electrolyzed, cations release hydrogen in the cationic membrane chamber, and anions release oxygen in the anionic membrane chamber.

[0003] The existing water electrolysis membrane electrode does not have its blank area sealed. In the entire electrolytic stack, the diffusion layer and the electrode plate metal material have a shearing effect on the proton membrane of the membrane electrode. During the operation and start-up and shutdown of the electrolytic stack, the entire stack has thermal deformation stress, swelling deformation stress of the proton membrane, water vapor transport stress, and pressure difference between the positive and negative electrolytic chambers. A strong shearing effect will be formed at the junction of the proton membrane and the edge of the electrode plate / titanium felt, which will cause the cell to fail and there is a risk of leakage of the entire cell. In this regard, the present application proposes an integrated membrane electrode structure and a preparation method to solve such problems. Summary of the invention

[0004] Based on this, in order to solve the problems existing in the prior art, on the one hand, the present application provides an integrated membrane electrode structure, including:

[0005] A first plate;

[0006] The second plate;

[0007] The mold body is located between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate. The mold body comprises an exchange membrane and at least two buffer components. The exchange membrane is located between the two buffer components. The exchange membrane and the two buffer components are integrally formed.

[0008] Furthermore, a catalytic layer is arranged on the surface of the mold body, the buffer is in a frame structure, the buffer comprises a plastic area and a hollow area, and the catalytic layer is located in the hollow area.

[0009] Furthermore, the catalyst layer includes an anode catalyst layer and a cathode catalyst layer, and the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer are respectively located on two sides of the mold body.

[0010] Furthermore, the buffer is provided with a first gas-liquid hole and a second gas-liquid hole at both ends, and is located in the plastic area, and a channel is provided between the first gas-liquid hole or the second gas-liquid hole at both ends of the buffer and the hollow area.

[0011] Furthermore, ridges are arranged along the peripheries of the hollow area, the first gas-liquid hole and the second gas-liquid hole, and the ridges are located in the plastic area.

[0012] Furthermore, the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate are provided with through holes, and during assembly, the through holes correspond to the positions of the first gas-liquid hole and the second gas-liquid hole.

[0013] Furthermore, the material of the buffer is one or more of polyacrylic acid, polyolefin, silicone, phenolic resin, polyester, polyurethane, fluororubber, EPDM rubber, nitrile rubber, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide and polyphenylene sulfide.

[0014] On the other hand, the present application provides an integrated membrane electrode preparation method, which is applied to the preparation of a membrane body in any one of the above-mentioned integrated membrane electrode structures, and the method comprises:

[0015] The exchange membrane coated with the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer on both sides is fixed in the mold;

[0016] Injection molding material is injected into the mold to form a buffer component in the mold. After the injection molding material is cooled, the exchange membrane and the buffer component are formed as one piece.

[0017] Furthermore, the mold includes a first template and a second template, a first positioning hole penetrating therethrough is opened at the edge of the exchange membrane, a plurality of second positioning holes are opened at one side edge of the first template, and a plurality of positioning columns are arranged at one side edge of the second template. Before injection molding, the exchange membrane is placed between the first template and the second template, so that the first positioning holes and the second positioning holes of the first template and the exchange membrane correspond to the positioning columns of the second template respectively, and the first template and the second template are clamped together to clamp the exchange membrane.

[0018] Beneficial effects: The present application sets buffer components between the first electrode plate and the mold body and between the second electrode plate and the mold body. During operation, the electrode plate or the diffusion layer can buffer the shear effect of the proton membrane, reduce the risk of cell failure, and form a good seal between the electrode plate and the membrane electrode, reducing the risk of leakage of the entire cell. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without paying creative work.

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the integrated membrane electrode structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the membrane electrode structure of the integrated membrane electrode structure of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0023] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a buffer component of an integrated membrane electrode structure of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the buffer component of the integrated membrane electrode structure of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of the exchange membrane structure of the integrated membrane electrode structure of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 A side view of the exchange membrane of the integrated membrane electrode structure of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 It is a schematic diagram of the mold structure of the integrated membrane electrode preparation method of the present invention;

[0028] Fig. 9 This is a schematic diagram of the first template structure of the integrated membrane electrode preparation method of the present invention;

[0029] Fig.10 A schematic diagram of the second template structure of the integrated membrane electrode preparation method of the present invention;

[0030] In the figure: 1. first electrode plate; 2. second electrode plate; 3. membrane body; 31. exchange membrane; 311. catalyst layer; 3111. anode catalyst layer; 3112. cathode catalyst layer; 32. buffer; 321. plastic area; 322. hollow area; 323. first gas-liquid hole; 324. second gas-liquid hole; 325. channel; 326. ridge; 327. first positioning hole; 4. first template; 41. second positioning hole; 42. first injection molding groove; 5. second template; 51. positioning column; 52. second injection molding groove; 6. through hole.

[0031] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0033] It should be noted that all directional indications in the embodiments of the present invention (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) are only used to explain the relative position relationship, movement status, etc. between the components under a certain specific posture (as shown in the accompanying drawings). If the specific posture changes, the directional indication will also change accordingly.

[0034] In addition, the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, "and / or" in the full text includes three solutions. Taking A and / or B as an example, it includes technical solution A, technical solution B, and technical solution that satisfies both A and B. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but it must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in this field to implement. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0035] like Figure 1-10 As shown, the embodiment of the present application provides an integrated membrane electrode structure, including:

[0036] A first electrode plate 1;

[0037] The second electrode plate 2;

[0038] The membrane body 3 is located between the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 . The membrane body 3 includes an exchange membrane 31 and at least two buffer members 32 . The exchange membrane 31 is located between the two buffer members 32 .

[0039] In the present embodiment, the buffer 32 is a frame-shaped structure. The buffer 32 needs to be made of a material with high stability, high temperature resistance, aging resistance, electrical insulation, high mechanical strength, high water vapor barrier, low temperature resistance and other characteristics. For example, the material of the buffer 32 can be one or more of polyacrylic acid, polyolefin, silicone, phenolic resin, polyester, polyurethane, fluororubber, EPDM rubber, nitrile rubber, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide and polyphenylene sulfide. In addition, the buffer 32 also has a certain elastic modulus, which can improve the sealing between the electrode plate and the membrane electrode, and the modulus ranges from 2MPa to 12MPa; wherein the exchange membrane 31 and the two buffers 32 are integrally formed;

[0040] By arranging the buffer member 32 between the first electrode plate 1 and the membrane body 3 and between the second electrode plate 2 and the membrane body 3, the electrode plate or the diffusion layer can buffer the shear effect of the proton membrane during operation, thereby reducing the risk of slot failure, and forming a good seal between the electrode plate and the membrane electrode, thereby reducing the risk of leakage of the entire slot. In addition, it can also avoid engraving sealing grooves on the electrode plates and canceling the processing of sealing rings, thereby reducing processing costs and being economical.

[0041] In one embodiment, a catalytic layer 311 is disposed on the surface of the membrane body 3 , and the buffer member 32 is provided with a plastic area 321 and a hollow area 322 , and the catalytic layer 311 is located in the hollow area 322 .

[0042] In this embodiment, the catalyst layer 311 includes an anode catalyst layer 3111 and a cathode catalyst layer 3112, and the anode catalyst layer 3111 and the cathode catalyst layer 3112 are respectively located on both sides of the membrane body 3;

[0043] The plastic area 321 of the buffer 32 and the edge of the exchange membrane 31 are integrally formed by injection molding. The hollow area 322 of the buffer 32 is provided with an opening that is consistent with the shape and size of the catalyst layer 311. After the plastic area 321 and the exchange membrane 31 are formed, the anode catalyst layer 3111 and the cathode catalyst layer 3112 are located in the openings of the hollow area 322 of the corresponding buffer 32.

[0044] In one embodiment, the first and second air-liquid holes 323 and 324 are disposed at both ends of the buffer 32 and are located in the plastic area 321 , and a channel 325 is disposed between the first and second air-liquid holes 323 or 324 at both ends of the buffer 32 and the hollow area 322 .

[0045] In this embodiment, a channel 325 is provided between the first gas-liquid hole 323 or the second gas-liquid hole 324 and the hollow area 322 , and the liquid or gas flowing through the first gas-liquid hole 323 or the second gas-liquid hole 324 can flow into or out of the hollow area 322 through the channel 325 .

[0046] In one embodiment, ridges 326 are disposed along the peripheries of the hollow area 322 , the first gas-liquid hole 323 , and the second gas-liquid hole 324 , and the ridges 326 are located in the plastic area 321 .

[0047] In this embodiment, when the first electrode plate 1, the second electrode plate 2 and the membrane body 3 are connected, the setting of the ridge 326 can form a sealed connection between the first electrode plate 1, the second electrode plate 2 and the membrane body 3, further improving the sealing between the electrode plate and the membrane body 3, and reducing the risk of leakage of the entire tank.

[0048] In one embodiment, the first electrode plate 1 and the second electrode plate 2 are provided with through holes 6 , and during assembly, the through holes 6 correspond to the positions of the first gas-liquid hole 323 and the second gas-liquid hole 324 .

[0049] In this embodiment, by setting the through hole 6, the corresponding first gas-liquid hole 323 and the second gas-liquid hole 324 can be connected to form a flow channel, and the external electrolyte or the gas generated by electrolysis can flow into or out of the electrolytic cell through the set through hole 6.

[0050] The present application provides an integrated membrane electrode preparation method, which is applied to the preparation of a membrane body in any one of the integrated membrane electrode structures in the above embodiments, and the method includes:

[0051] Fix the exchange membrane 31 coated with the anode catalyst layer 3111 and the cathode catalyst layer 3112 on both sides in the mold;

[0052] The injection molding material is injected into the mold, and the injection molding material forms the buffer component 32 in the mold. After the injection molding material is cooled, the exchange membrane 31 and the buffer component 32 are formed as one piece.

[0053] In this embodiment, the mold includes a first template 4 and a second template 5. A first positioning hole 327 is provided at the edge of the exchange membrane 31, a plurality of second positioning holes 41 are provided at one side edge of the first template 4, and a plurality of positioning posts 51 are provided at one side edge of the second template 5. Before injection molding, the exchange membrane 31 is placed between the first template 4 and the second template 5, so that the first positioning holes 327 and the second positioning holes 41 of the first template 4 and the exchange membrane 31 correspond to the positioning posts 51 of the second template 5, respectively, and the first template 4 and the second template 5 are molded together to clamp the exchange membrane 31.

[0054] The first mold plate 4 and the second mold plate 5 are respectively provided with a first injection molding groove 42 and a second injection molding groove 52. Through the provision of the first injection molding groove 42 and the second injection molding groove 52, after the injection molding material is injected, the ridge 326, the channel 325 and other structures in the buffer 32 can be formed;

[0055] Among them, the injection molding material is one or more of polyacrylic acid, polyolefin, silicone, phenolic resin, polyester, polyurethane, fluororubber, EPDM rubber, nitrile rubber, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide and polyphenylene sulfide.

[0056] In this embodiment, the electrode plate and the membrane body 3 are integrated by molding or injection molding, so that the membrane electrode structure is more stable, and good sealing can be achieved between the electrode plate and the membrane body 3, thereby reducing the risk of leakage of the entire tank.

[0057] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. All equivalent structural changes made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the inventive concept of the present invention, or directly / indirectly applied in other related technical fields are included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An integrated membrane electrode structure, characterized in that: include: A first plate; The second plate; A mold body, the mold body is located between the first electrode plate and the second electrode plate, the mold body comprises an exchange membrane and at least two buffer components, the exchange membrane is located between the two buffer components, and the exchange membrane and the two buffer components are integrally formed.

2. The integrated membrane electrode structure and preparation method according to claim 1, characterized in that: A catalytic layer is arranged on the surface of the exchange membrane. The buffer component is in a frame structure. The buffer component comprises a plastic area and a hollow area. The catalytic layer is located in the hollow area.

3. The integrated membrane electrode structure according to claim 2, characterized in that: The catalytic layer comprises an anode catalytic layer and a cathode catalytic layer, and the anode catalytic layer and the cathode catalytic layer are respectively located on both sides of the exchange membrane.

4. The integrated membrane electrode structure according to claim 3, characterized in that: The plastic areas at both ends of the buffer are provided with a first gas-liquid hole and a second gas-liquid hole, and a channel is provided between the first gas-liquid hole or the second gas-liquid hole and the hollow area.

5. The integrated membrane electrode structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: A ridge is arranged along the periphery of the hollow area, the first gas-liquid hole and the second gas-liquid hole, and the ridge is located in the plastic area.

6. The integrated membrane electrode structure according to claim 4, characterized in that: The first electrode plate and the second electrode plate are provided with through holes, and the through holes correspond to the positions of the first gas-liquid hole and the second gas-liquid hole during assembly.

7. The integrated membrane electrode structure according to claim 1, characterized in that: The material of the buffer is one or more of polyacrylic acid, polyolefin, silicone, phenolic resin, polyester, polyurethane, fluororubber, EPDM rubber, nitrile rubber, polyethylene terephthalate, polyimide, polyethylene naphthalate, polyetheretherketone, polyetherimide and polyphenylene sulfide.

8. A method for preparing an integrated membrane electrode, characterized in that: The method for preparing a membrane body used in any one of the integrated membrane electrode structures of claims 1 to 7 comprises: The exchange membrane coated with the anode catalyst layer and the cathode catalyst layer on both sides is fixed in the mold; Injection molding material is injected into the mold to form a buffer component in the mold. After the injection molding material is cooled, the exchange membrane and the buffer component are formed as one piece.

9. The integrated membrane electrode preparation method according to claim 8, characterized in that: The mold includes a first template and a second template. A first positioning hole is opened at the edge of the exchange membrane, a plurality of second positioning holes are opened at one side edge of the first template, and a plurality of positioning posts are arranged at one side edge of the second template. Before injection molding, the exchange membrane is placed between the first template and the second template, so that the first positioning holes and the second positioning holes of the first template and the exchange membrane correspond to the positioning posts of the second template respectively, and the first template and the second template are molded together to clamp the exchange membrane.

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