An electrode grid for an electrolytic cell

Abstract

This invention discloses an electrode mesh for an electrolytic cell, woven from metal strands. The mesh is constructed by twisting 0.30 mm diameter metal monofilaments into transverse and longitudinal strands, forming a 25-35 mesh / inch mesh structure. The metal monofilaments can be made of alkali-resistant materials such as pure nickel, nickel alloys, nickel-plated steel wire, or titanium alloy wire. This electrode mesh features high strength and large pore size, allowing it to withstand high-intensity sandblasting and is compatible with large-particle abrasives, significantly improving surface roughness and catalyst coating adhesion. Simultaneously, it facilitates the rapid escape of electrolytic bubbles, reducing bubble resistance and improving electrolysis efficiency. This invention also discloses a method for preparing this electrode mesh and its application in alkaline water electrolytic cells, suitable for high current density and long-life electrolysis systems.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of water electrolysis hydrogen production technology, specifically to a conductive substrate structure for the cathode or anode in an alkaline water electrolysis cell, and in particular a metal electrode mesh with a specific combination of wire diameter and mesh size. The electrode mesh is woven from metal strands and is suitable for electrode manufacturing of high current density and long life electrolysis systems. Background Technology

[0002] In alkaline water electrolysis, electrodes typically consist of a conductive substrate and a surface catalyst layer. The metal mesh material serves as the conductive framework of the electrode, undertaking multiple functions including electron conduction, gas venting, electrolyte permeation, and supporting the catalyst coating. Currently, nickel or nickel-based alloy meshes are widely used in industry as cathode or anode substrates due to their excellent conductivity, resistance to strong alkali corrosion, and good interfacial bonding with the catalyst.

[0003] Commercially available electrode meshes are mostly made of woven metal wire, and typical specifications include: 50 mesh, wire diameter 0.25 mm; 40 mesh, wire diameter 0.15 mm; 46 mesh, wire diameter 0.19 mm; 60 mesh, wire diameter 0.25 mm, etc.

[0004] The aforementioned electrode meshes generally feature high mesh count, small wire diameter, and small aperture, leading to the following problems: Low mechanical strength and easy deformation: The fine wire diameter (≤0.25 mm) results in poor overall structural rigidity, and the mesh is prone to collapse, twisting or breakage during sandblasting, spraying, assembly and long-term operation. Sandblasting is prone to clogging and surface treatment is limited: the small aperture limits the abrasive particle size that can be used, and only fine-grained white corundum (such as 80-120 mesh) can be used. Not only is the roughening effect poor, but the abrasive is also easy to get embedded in the mesh and cause clogging, affecting the coating adhesion and process yield. Difficulty in bubble removal increases resistance: Hydrogen / oxygen produced by electrolysis has difficulty escaping quickly in the small-aperture mesh, forming "gas film resistance", which significantly increases cell voltage and reduces energy efficiency; Limited material selection: Existing technologies mostly focus on pure nickel materials, but do not systematically consider the structural compatibility of other high-strength, corrosion-resistant, and low-cost metal materials (such as nickel alloys, nickel-plated steel wire, titanium alloy wire, etc.) in electrode meshes.

[0005] Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop a new type of electrode mesh structure that not only optimizes geometric parameters to improve mechanical properties and mass transfer capacity, but also has material versatility, is compatible with a variety of alkali-resistant metal materials, and meets the development needs of high-efficiency, stable and low-cost electrolytic cells. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a metal mesh structure for electrolytic cell electrodes, solving problems in existing electrode meshes such as low strength, easy deformation, pore blockage, air bubble retention, and weak coating adhesion due to excessively high mesh count and small wire diameter. It also overcomes material limitations, improving the versatility and applicability of the electrode mesh in different metal systems. The specific technical solution is as follows: An electrode mesh for an electrolytic cell is woven from conductive metal wires, the metal wires including transverse wires and longitudinal wires, the transverse wires and longitudinal wires being interwoven to form a mesh structure, the diameter of the metal wires being 0.25-0.35 mm, and the mesh count being 25-35 mesh.

[0007] Preferably, the metal wire is selected from one or more of the following materials: pure nickel, nickel alloy, nickel-plated steel wire, titanium and titanium alloy wire, stainless steel wire, and cobalt-chromium alloy wire.

[0008] The following are further improvement suggestions for the electrode mesh: Preferably, the metal wire is formed by twisting together a single strand of metal filament, or by twisting together multiple strands of metal filament.

[0009] Preferably, the metal wire is woven in a plain weave or a twill weave, or in a weave pattern other than plain weave or twill weave.

[0010] As one of the preferred solutions for the application of the electrode mesh in this utility model, the electrode mesh is an anode electrode mesh.

[0011] As a second preferred embodiment of the application of the electrode mesh in this utility model, the electrode mesh is a cathode electrode mesh.

[0012] The above-mentioned electrode mesh is manufactured as follows: After the electrode mesh is woven, it is sandblasted before spraying to improve the surface roughness of the nickel mesh; after sandblasting and cleaning, a catalytic coating is sprayed to enhance the adhesion between the coating and the electrode mesh (such as the nickel mesh). Note that white fused alumina abrasive is preferably used to polish the surface of the nickel mesh during the sandblasting process, and large-particle-size white fused alumina abrasive is preferred to improve the polishing effect.

[0013] The mesh count of the electrode mesh (such as nickel mesh) of this invention is advantageous for using large-sized white fused alumina. However, existing electrode meshes have a larger mesh count (usually above 40 mesh) and smaller apertures, which can only use small-sized white fused alumina. This can easily lead to pore blockage, affecting the coating quality, and the grinding effect is insufficient, resulting in insufficient coating adhesion and easy peeling.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: First, the electrode mesh of the electrolytic cell of this utility model is made of metal stranded wire, which has high structural strength and strong resistance to deformation. The preferred material is 0.30 mm metal monofilament woven into a 30-mesh structure. Compared with traditional fine wire diameter high mesh mesh (such as 40-60 mesh), the metal volume per unit cross section is larger and the tensile strength is significantly improved. It is suitable for high-intensity sandblasting and high current density operating environments.

[0015] Secondly, the electrode mesh of the electrolytic cell of this utility model adopts a large aperture design, which is conducive to the escape of bubbles: the aperture of the 30 mesh is about 0.58 mm, which is much larger than the traditional 50 mesh (about 0.28 mm) structure, effectively reducing the probability of bubble retention, reducing the gas film resistance, and reducing the small cell voltage by 5–15 mV.

[0016] Secondly, the electrode mesh of the electrolytic cell of this utility model is compatible with large-particle sandblasting abrasives, which improves the surface adhesion: the large aperture allows the use of large-size white corundum for sandblasting, resulting in strong surface impact, effectively improving surface roughness, significantly enhancing the adhesion of the catalyst coating, and preventing delamination.

[0017] Third, the electrode mesh of the electrolytic cell of this utility model has flexible material selection and wide applicability: it is not limited to pure nickel, but can be extended to nickel alloys, nickel-plated steel wire, titanium alloys and other materials. While ensuring corrosion resistance, it also takes into account cost and strength, thereby improving the economy and designability of the electrode mesh.

[0018] Fourth, the electrode mesh of the electrolytic cell of this utility model has strong process adaptability and high manufacturing yield: the large aperture effectively avoids the problem of sandblasting clogging, simplifies the cleaning process, and improves the consistency of spraying and the product qualification rate. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electrode mesh of an electrolytic cell according to this utility model.

[0020] In the diagram: 100, horizontal thread; 200, vertical thread. Detailed Implementation

[0021] The specific embodiments of this utility model will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0022] like Figure 1 The figure shows an embodiment of an electrode mesh for an electrolytic cell according to the present invention. The electrode mesh is woven from conductive metal wires, which include transverse wires 100 and longitudinal wires 200. The transverse wires 100 and longitudinal wires 200 are interwoven to form a mesh structure. The diameter of the metal wires is 0.25-0.35 mm, and the mesh count is 25-35 mesh.

[0023] Preferably, the metal wire is selected from one or more of the following materials: pure nickel, nickel alloy, nickel-plated steel wire, titanium and titanium alloy wire, stainless steel wire, and cobalt-chromium alloy wire.

[0024] Preferably, the metal wire is made of a single strand of metal filament or twisted together, or is made of multiple strands of metal filament twisted together.

[0025] Preferably, the metal wire is woven in a plain weave or a twill weave, or in a weave pattern other than plain weave or twill weave.

[0026] As one of the preferred solutions for the application of the electrode mesh in this embodiment, the electrode mesh is an anode electrode mesh.

[0027] As a second preferred embodiment of the electrode mesh application, the electrode mesh is a cathode electrode mesh.

[0028] The above-mentioned electrode mesh is manufactured as follows: After the electrode mesh is woven, it is sandblasted before spraying to improve the surface roughness of the nickel mesh; after sandblasting and cleaning, a catalytic coating is sprayed to enhance the adhesion between the coating and the electrode mesh (such as the nickel mesh). Note that white fused alumina abrasive is preferably used to polish the surface of the nickel mesh during the sandblasting process, and large-particle-size white fused alumina abrasive is preferred to improve the polishing effect.

[0029] The mesh count of the electrode mesh (such as nickel mesh) in this embodiment is advantageous for using large-sized white fused alumina. However, existing electrode meshes have a larger mesh count (usually above 40 mesh) and smaller apertures, which can only use small-sized white fused alumina. This can easily lead to pore blockage, affecting the coating quality, and the grinding effect is insufficient, resulting in poor coating adhesion and easy peeling.

[0030] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the technical principles of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An electrode screen for an electrolytic cell, the electrode screen being woven from electrically conductive wires, the wires including transverse wires and longitudinal wires, the transverse wires and longitudinal wires being interlaced to form a mesh structure, characterised in that: The diameter of the metal wire is 0.25-0.35 mm, and the mesh count is 25-35.

2. An electrode grid for an electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that The metal wire is selected from one or more of the following materials: pure nickel, nickel alloy, nickel-plated steel wire, titanium and titanium alloy wire, stainless steel wire, and cobalt-chromium alloy wire.

3. An electrode grid for an electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The metal wire is made of single strands of metal filament twisted together, or of multiple strands of metal filament twisted together.

4. An electrode grid for an electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that The metal wire is woven in a plain weave or a twill weave, or in an angle weave other than plain weave or twill weave.

5. An electrode screen for an electrolytic cell as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that, The electrode mesh is either an anode electrode mesh or a cathode electrode mesh.

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