METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING ELECTRODES

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing electrodes (1), comprising the steps Unrolling (10) a sheet to provide a substrate (2), surface modification (30) of the substrate (2), Applying (50) a catalyst material to the substrate (2) to produce a coating (5) comprising the catalyst material, and Processing (70) the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) to produce a permeability of the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) for a fluid.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing electrodes having a coating comprising a catalyst material and having a permeability for a fluid. The invention further relates to a system for producing electrodes. The invention further relates to an electrode.It is known to produce electrodes having a permeability for a fluid. For this purpose, perforated sheets, nets, foams or other porous substrates can be coated with catalyst material, so that after this substrate has been coated, there is permeability for a fluid. For example, such electrodes are used in fuel cells and electrolyzers. The known production processes are expensive and do not permit satisfactory production speeds.Solutions are sought which result in increased production speeds of electrodes and in particular in more efficient electrodes with less consumption of catalyst material. In particular, the disadvantages of the prior art are to be avoided or at least substantially reduced.The object is achieved by the features of the independent claims. Preferred embodiments are specified in the dependent claims, in the drawings and in the description, which can each represent an aspect of the invention individually or in combination.A method for producing electrodes is proposed, comprising the stepsrolling a sheet to provide a substrate, surface modifying the substrate,applying a catalyst material to the substrate to produce a coating comprising the catalyst material; andprocessing the coated substrate to produce a permeability of the coated substrate to a fluid.In other words, a production method is specified in which a sheet metal material is rolled off. A surface layer of the sheet metal material is modified, for example removed, altered and / or applied. Catalyst material is applied to the sheet material to form the coating. In addition, the coated sheet metal material is at least partially processed, e.g. plastically deformed or shape-changed and / or thermally processed and / or removed by means of laser or plasma, so that it becomes permeable to liquid or gases and / or becomes porous.The invention realizes the idea that sheet metal can be porous or "leaky" when it is processed, e.g. deformed or formed and / or processed by means of laser or plasma or water jet or an etching medium. The machining comprises in particular mechanical and / or physical and / or chemical machining processes. However, the sheet is not necessarily shaped or processed by means of laser or plasma, as is known from the prior art, before the coating or the application of the catalyst material, but rather after the coating. This makes possible a surprisingly inexpensive production process with particular advantage. Namely, very continuous coating methods, for example, in the roll-to-roll and air-to-air method, can be used. The sheet can then be rolled off and coated simultaneously at different points of the sheet without individual pieces of sheet having to be handled.Due to the proposed process management including surface modification or a modification of a surface layer, it is in particular the case that the layer adhesion to the substrate becomes particularly good, for which reason the processing surprisingly leads to delamination only to an insignificant extent, if at all.It is also particularly advantageous that no porous or leaky metal sheet is coated, as a result of which no catalyst material penetrates into the small passages from the side of the metal sheet to the side of the metal sheet. Rather, the porosity or leakage is produced after coating with catalyst material present, so that, among other things, a reduction in the cross-section of the passages tends to be absent. The electrode becomes significantly more efficient or its economic efficiency increases and the material outlay for coating decreases.Thanks to the invention, comparatively little catalyst material is coated. Significantly less material is lost or less material is used which does not form into the actual coating, specifically in comparison with a coating of substrates already having a permeability.Preferred details and developments of the invention are presented below, which lead to further improvements, in particular of the above-mentioned advantages.In particular, the sheet is provided rolled up on a roll. The sheet metal can also be referred to as strip material. The sheet may be unwound from the roll to form the substrate. For example, the sheet is unwound along a base and / or extending substantially horizontally in order to pass through the method successively and in particular with the orientation of the sheet transversely to the force of gravity. For example, the sheet metal is provided as a continuous material, in particular in order to continuously pass through the method. Endless material is to be understood as meaning that at least 10 metres or 20 metres of sheet metal are present on the part, in particular wherein the part of sheet metal can be present on one part starting from the rolled-off state as uncoated substrate to the state as coated substrate which is processed, for example shaped and / or processed by means of laser and / or by means of plasma and / or by means of water jet and / or by means of etching.The surface layer is in particular an oxide layer and / or a native passivation layer. In principle, the surface layer can be understood to mean an uppermost material layer of the sheet metal just rolled, on which the sheet metal or then the substrate is to be coated. The surface layer is generally at least 1 nm thick or even thicker, in particular in the case of metal sheets. The surface modification includes in particular mechanical or physical and / or chemical methods, e.g. in order to remove and / or remove and / or apply and / or roughen and / or alter the surface layer from the substrate. For example, plasma etching, blasting or grinding is suitable.The catalyst material can comprise, for example, a metal, an oxide and / or a nitride, in particular in each case two or more thereof and / or combinations thereof. The catalyst materials are selected according to the proposal with a view to a use in fuel cells or electrolysers.Forming is to be understood in particular as a plastic deformation and / or a forming method. When a metal is formed, it can also be said that it is bent or that a plastic deformation is carried out. The microstructure of the formed material or substrate can change. In particular, the thickness and / or the strength of the substrate can change at the material sections which are formed as a result of the forming. In the light of the disclosure, it should be understood that cutting processes also have an aspect of forming or forming because the material is formed during the separation. In particular, material deformations are to be referred to as deformation, from which the invention advantageously wants to make use of.Laser cutting, which is also understood as laser material processing, is to be understood in particular as material processing, for example separating and / or removing, by means of laser technology. Laser cutting may involve drilling vias into the substrate. Laser cutting can locally ablate material to provide the transmissivity. During laser cutting, parameters of the laser radiation, such as wavelength, mean power, pulse energy and / or pulse duration, can be adapted. A substantially thermal removal mechanism and thermal effects in the material (e.g. hardening of surrounding material) are determined in this case substantially by the pulse duration and the irradiance. Conceivable are, inter alia, CO2laser beam sources or Nd:YAG laser beam sources.Plasma cutting, which is also understood as plasma-supported material processing, is understood in particular to mean material processing in which material can be removed and / or separated by means of a plasma using thermal energy. Plasma cutting may include an arc between electrodes (called "transferred arc" or "direct plasma cutting") or an arc between a cathode as one electrode and a nozzle as another electrode (called "non-transferred arc" or "indirect plasma cutting". An auxiliary anode or sacrificial anode can also be provided, for example melting wire. Plasma cutting can produce passages in the substrate by thermal material removal, which provide the permeability.Immediately after rolling, the sheet or substrate is typically impermeable to a fluid. For example, if the substrate is stretched uniaxially or biaxially along its direction(s), pores and / or passages may form in the substrate and also in the coating. As such, the transmittance can be provided.However, the permeability can also be created by introducing passages, for example by perforating the coated substrate with pointed tools, for example with a perforating roller. Alternatively or additionally, the substrate can also be provided with passages in an embossing process or a punching process.The forming may primarily include that no material removal from the substrate and / or from the coating takes place or no material removal should take place.It can also be provided that the forming includes a removal of material from the substrate and / or from the coating, for example by performing cut-outs and / or material withdrawals; however, in this case too, a forming process which is regularly exhibited in the produced electrode, for example in residual compressive stresses and / or hardening of the surface, should have been carried out in each case at the cut edge.During laser cutting and / or plasma cutting, it will generally be such that material is removed, for example from the substrate and / or from the coating. Through this removal, the permeability can be produced, for example by producing fine channels from side to side of the substrate.A permeability for a fluid is to be understood as meaning that the substrate is "leaky" transversely with respect to its directions of extent or in its thickness direction, namely with respect to a liquid and / or a gas. Thus, with a view to the potential use of the electrode in question, an electrolyte (a liquid) can permeate through the electrode and / or hydrogen gas or other process gases, for example an electrolysis, can / can permeate.The sheet is preferably unrolled or unrolled at a speed of at least 0.5 m / min and / or at most 30 m / min. The strip speed is viewed along the strip or substrate and is detected in particular relative to the substrate and / or a coating system, in particular a PVD and / or CVD system. The belt speed is preferably at least 1 m / min or at least 2 m / min and / or at most 20 m / min or at most 10 m / min. A belt speed of 5 m / min±2 m / min or also 3.5 m / min±2 m / min is particularly preferred. A / the belt speed is preferably maintained constant during the method in order to ensure reliable performance of all steps. In this way, a sufficient layer thickness can be achieved and sufficient pre-cleaning or sufficiently good surface modification can be made possible.It is preferably provided that the processing, in particular the forming, comprises stretching, rolling, perforating, structuring and / or punching. The machining can comprise cutting or cutting. Laser cutting and / or plasma cutting and / or water jet cutting and / or etching preferably comprises / have a material removal of substrate, intermediate layer and / or coating. The water jet cutting, laser cutting and / or plasma cutting preferably comprises / have a compaction, roughening, hardening and / or heat treatment of the substrate of the intermediate layer and / or of the coating. It is possible that a reaction zone is formed at a cut edge of the substrate produced by the processing, which reaction zone can have passivating and / or corrosion-inhibiting properties. The cut edge is passivated and the adhesion of the layer is improved.Preferably, the method comprises separating portions of the coated substrate after processing. For example, the coated sheet or substrate can be rolled in order to increase the degree of forming and thus provide a permeability for fluid. The sheet may be stretched uniaxially or biaxially. Perforations and / or structures can be introduced into the coated substrate, for example by means of rollers and / or knives. The coated substrate can be cut, for example cut-outs can be introduced. It is important that the coated substrate experiences local modifications, for example deformations, which lead to modified or deformed material sections.The substrate preferably comprises or consists of metal. As metals, aluminum, iron, titanium and / or nickel, in particular an alloy of a plurality of metals, are proposed. Steel or an alloy of metal, in particular iron, with carbon can also be provided. The metal may be alloyed with carbon to form steel. Metal is an excellent basis for applying a coating and for forming an electrode. Steel and / or aluminum can advantageously be provided as cost-effective metals or elements. Nickel and / or titanium or alloys thereof are particularly preferred, in particular because of very high strengths. The substrate can comprise the same material or consist of the same material as the coating or the catalyst material.An intermediate layer may be provided. The intermediate layer can also be referred to as an intermediate layer. If provided, the intermediate layer is preferably arranged between the coating and the substrate. More than one intermediate layer can also be provided, for example two, three or more intermediate layers.The intermediate layer has, for example, a corrosion-resistant intermediate layer or is such a layer. The intermediate layer has, for example, a passivating intermediate layer or is such. The intermediate layer can also have or be an adhesion-promoting layer. Such an intermediate layer comprises, for example, metals, oxides and / or nitrides or combinations / compounds thereof. The intermediate layer can also be selected identically to the substrate and / or to the coating with regard to the material selection.The substrate preferably has a substrate thickness of at least 0.01 mm and / or at most 1 mm. The substrate thickness is more preferably at least 0.05 mm and / or at most 0.80 mm in order to have a balance of mechanical strength for the application of the coating and low cost. More preferably, the substrate thickness is at least 0.10 mm and / or at most 0.50 mm. It is also possible for the substrate thickness to be at least 0.10 mm and / or at most 0.30 mm. Substrate thickness typically refers to the thickness of the tape unwound from a roll. It is also conceivable that the substrate thickness refers to a thickness after the surface modification and before / or the application.Surface modifying may include additive, subtractive, and / or modifying operations. Material can be applied / applied, ablated / removed and / or changed in terms of material. Surface modifying relates in particular to processing a surface region or a surface layer of the substrate. The surface modifying may include one or more steps.The surface modification, in particular a removal of the surface layer, preferably comprises a plasma etching or plasma etching. The plasma etching may include an etching ablation due to a chemical reaction (chemical dry etching method (CDE)) and / or a physical ablation due to ion bombardment. In particular, inverse magnetron sputtering and / or ion beam etching is provided. In particular, a wet chemical cleaning is provided. With the proposed methods, particularly good resistance to delamination of the coating can be produced. The above-mentioned possibilities for surface modification can also be used particularly economically, in particular in a technically synergistic manner in conjunction with PVD methods and / or CVD methods for applying the coating and / or an intermediate layer.The surface modifying may include roughening the substrate. Roughening may include mechanical processing. Roughening may be, for example, grinding or blasting, in particular sandblasting or shot blasting. Roughening relates in particular to increasing the surface roughness, for example in that the characteristic value of surface roughness Ra and / or Rz and / or another roughness characteristic value is higher after roughening than before roughening. The layer adhesion can thus be improved. Roughening may take place before or after removal.Preferably, the step of applying a / the intermediate layer is provided. The intermediate layer may be a layer that differs from the coating with regard to the material used, has an intersection with the coating or is identical to the coating. The intermediate layer is in particular thinner than the coating and thus ensures, for example, optimum adaptation to the topography of the substrate after surface modification for the coating. This can improve the adhesion of the coating to the substrate. The intermediate layer can have or be an adhesion-promoting layer, a passivating intermediate layer and / or a corrosion-resistant intermediate layer. Delamination, for example, by processing, in particular forming, water jet cutting, etching, laser cutting or plasma cutting, is further prevented. In the case of an adhesion-promoting layer, good adhesion is produced, for example by bringing about a better chemical bond with substrate, coating and / or further intermediate layer. The adhesion promoting layer is preferably better matched to the lattice constants of the layers to be joined in order to reduce the interfacial stresses compared to if the adhesion promoting layer were not present and the layers were directly joined.Application of at least one further coating and / or intermediate layer may be provided in order to produce a multilayer structure. It can be provided in this respect that multilayers or a multilayer layer structure is / are produced. In this respect, a plurality of coatings and / or a plurality of intermediate layers can be provided in a stacked manner. Corresponding method steps can be supplemented or repeated in order to achieve this. In other words, the intermediate layer and / or the coating can be applied iteratively.In one exemplary embodiment of the invention, after or within the scope of surface modification, it is possible, for example, to apply an adhesion-promoting layer as the first intermediate layer, an intermediate layer, for example a corrosion-resistant intermediate layer, as the second intermediate layer, and the catalyst material as a coating. The application of one, two or the three layers may be repeated to achieve the multilayer construction. One or both of the intermediate layers can / can also be omitted or applied multiple times. The coating can also be applied more than once.In particular, the intermediate layer comprises or consists of one or the catalyst material. The intermediate layer comprises nickel or preferably a Ni alloy, for example.The catalyst material can be applied by a PVD method and / or by a CVD method. A very robust coating of or with the catalyst material can thus be provided. The intermediate layer can be applied by a / the CVD / PVD method. In particular, the same coating method can be used for the application of the intermediate layer and for the application of the coating, preferably the PVD method or the CVD method. PVD or the PVD method is basically understood to mean a physical vapor deposition (PVD). This process is known in the art. CVD or the CVD method is understood in principle to mean chemical vapor deposition (CVD). This process is known in the art.The process is particularly preferably carried out as a continuous process. In particular, at least the application step or at least the application steps are carried out in a vacuum chamber. The vacuum chamber can be assigned to a PVD and / or CVD system. A plurality of vacuum chambers can also be provided. In particular, a high vacuum is provided in the vacuum chamber. The vacuum in the vacuum chamber is typically and prior to applying coatings in a range between 0.001 and 0.0001 hPa. The vacuum in the vacuum chamber during the application of coatings is typically in a range between 0.005 and 0.1 hPa. Other pressures are also conceivable, for example greater or smaller than the mentioned.In particular, a roll-to-roll and air-to-air method is provided. In particular, the rolling, the surface modifying and the application, and preferably (if provided) both application steps, and preferably the processing, the water jet cutting, the etching, the forming and / or the laser cutting and / or plasma cutting, take place simultaneously or take place simultaneously, in particular on the same substrate or with the substrate on a piece. Thus, it is possible to unroll simultaneously along the unwound strip, feed it into a vacuum chamber, modify it, apply intermediate layer, apply coating, discharge it from a / the vacuum chamber, transform it and / or laser process and / or plasma process and / or separate it, in particular select from the aforementioned activities or actions.The following step or steps are preferably provided: introducing the substrate into / the vacuum chamber, in particular by means of a sealing lip and / or sealing roller contacting the substrate, and / or discharging the substrate provided with the coating from / the vacuum chamber, in particular by means of a sealing lip and / or sealing roller contacting the substrate. In particular, the introduction is provided after the rolling. The introduction is provided in particular before the surface modification and / or before the application. The ejection is preferably provided after the rolling, after the insertion, after the surface modifications and / or after the application or after the application steps. The discharge and / or the introduction is / are provided in particular before the coated substrate is separated off.A rolling-up step can also be provided, for example after application of the coating, for example after discharge, preferably before separation, processing, forming, water jet cutting, etching and / or laser cutting and / or plasma cutting. In this respect, a further rolling can be provided, for example before severing, machining, forming, water jet cutting, etching and / or laser cutting and / or plasma cutting.The catalyst material may comprise exactly one, exactly two, or more chemical elements. The catalyst material can be selected from the group of metals, oxides, nitrides, carbides and / or salts. The catalyst material may comprise metals, oxides and / or nitrides.The catalyst material may comprise or consist of a metal, an oxide and / or a nitride. In particular, a mixture of a plurality of metals, oxides and / or nitrides can be provided. This may be advantageous depending on the application. In particular, the catalyst materials can be selected depending on raw material cost to obtain favorable production.The catalyst material may be coated with exactly one, exactly two or more chemical elements. Binary or ternary or other systems with multiple materials may be provided as a catalyst material.The catalyst material can be coated or applied or applied with a layer thickness of at least 5 nm and / or at most 2000 nm. The layer thickness is preferably at least 10 nm and / or at most 1000 nm. The layer thickness is particularly preferably at least 20 nm and / or at most 500 nm. In particular, the layer thickness is at least 50 nm and / or at most 250 nm. In particular, the layer thickness is determined in a transverse cut. Preferably, the layer thickness is determined as an average layer thickness over a portion along the substrate, for example wherein the portion is at least 1 micrometer or at least 5 micrometers wide.Furthermore, a system for producing electrodes is proposed. The system is configured in particular for carrying out the method.The system preferably has a coating plant. The coating system is in particular a PVD system and / or a CVD system or a PVD and / or CVD system. The coating plant is designed according to the proposal for the continuous application of a / the catalyst material for producing a / the coating on a / the rolled sheet serving as substrate in a continuous process. The system has a material processing system downstream of the coating system according to the proposal, which is configured to form the substrate provided with the coating and / or to process it by means of laser and / or to process it by means of plasma and / or by means of water jet and / or by means of etching or an etching process. The processing, in particular the forming, the laser cutting or laser processing and / or plasma cutting or plasma processing and / or water jet cutting and / or etching can / can be carried out with particular advantage simultaneously with the application.An electrode is also proposed. The electrode has in particular a / the substrate(s) provided with a / the coating, and preferably a / the intermediate layer between the substrate and the coating. The substrate provided with the coating has in particular at least one material section processed, in particular formed, laser-processed or laser-beam processed and / or plasma-processed / plasma-beam processed and / or water-jet cut and / or etched, after application of a catalyst material for generating the coating, wherein the material section is provided for generating a permeability of the substrate provided with the coating for a fluid, for example liquid, electrolyte and / or gas.The invention further relates to the use of the electrode as an electrode in a fuel cell for the recovery of electrical energy and / or in an electrolyser for hydrogen recovery, for chlorine production and / or for CO production, in particular from electrical energy.Within the scope of the disclosure, the abbreviation "or" stands as a short form for "or" and is intended in principle to specify alternative, basically equivalent and / or synonymous features or terms in order to bring the idea or the sense of a use of features or terms closer. "Or" can always be replaced by "and / or".The invention is explained below by way of example with reference to the attached drawings on the basis of preferred exemplary embodiments, wherein the features illustrated below can represent an aspect of the invention both individually and in combination. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a method according to the invention in a schematic view, FIG. 2 schematically shows various cross sections through a substrate from which an electrode is produced, and FIG. 3 shows a system according to the invention in a schematic view.FIG. 1 shows a method for producing electrodes 1. In a step called unrolling 10, a metal sheet made of metal, preferably nickel, is first unrolled from a roll in order to provide a substrate 2. The rolling 10 takes place in the present case by a tension on the roller which comes from two counterrotating rollers which pull in the strip. The sheet metal is still impermeable to a fluid as uncoated substrate 2.In a step called introduction 20, after the rolling 10, the substrate 2 is brought in the direction of a vacuum chamber and drawn by sealing lips or sealing rollers which contact the substrate 2, in particular on both sides or circumferentially. During the introduction 20, the pressure is lowered, so that a vacuum is present or is applied to the substrate 2.After the unrolling 10 and / or the introduction 20, the strip or substrate 2 has a cross section approximately as illustrated in FIG. 2A. On both sides, the substrate 2 has natural surface layers 3 or edge layers, in particular which must be subsequently removed or modified, owing to passivation.After rolling 10, the substrate 2 preferably has a substrate thickness 6 in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. The amount of the surface layers 3 in the substrate thickness 6 is only 1% or less.In a step called surface modifying 30, one of the surface layers 3 of the substrate 2 is removed, among other things, after the introduction 20. This can be done by removal 35 by means of plasma etching, inverted magnetron sputtering and / or ion beam etching. It may be that more than just the surface layer 3 is removed, for example a layer of the substrate 2 lying under the surface layer 3.Furthermore, roughening 38 may be provided in the context of surface modifying 30, substrate 2 being roughened in particular before, after or alternatively to removal 35. Here, the substrate 2 may be ground or blasted. In particular, the substrate 2 is mechanically processed. The rougher surface improves the layer adhesion.In a step called application 40, an intermediate layer 4 is applied during the surface modifying 30, and in particular after the removal 35 and / or the roughening 38. Basically, coating is carried out here. The intermediate layer 4 replaces, in principle or purely from the arrangement on the substrate 2, the surface layer 3 which was removed shortly beforehand and represents a basis for allowing a coating 5 to adhere well. In the present case, the intermediate layer 4 consists of metal, more precisely of nickel, in particular of a nickel alloy.The intermediate layer 4 is in the present case an adhesion promoter layer or adhesion promoter layer. A plurality of intermediate layers 4 can also be provided or applied. The intermediate layer 4 can also comprise a corrosion-resistant and / or passivating intermediate layer.After surface modification 30 or removal 35 and after application 40, the strip or substrate 2 has a cross-sectional appearance approximately as shown in FIG. 2B. On the top side, the intermediate layer 4 is now arranged instead of the surface layer 3.The removed surface layer 3 or applied intermediate layer 4 hardly falls / falls in amount with respect to the substrate thickness 6. After the removal 35 and / or after the application 40 of the intermediate layer 4, the substrate 2 typically still has the substrate thickness 6 in the range from 0.1 mm up to 0.2 mm.In a step called application 50, after application 40 of intermediate layer 4, a catalyst material is applied to substrate 2, more precisely to intermediate layer 4. In other words, coating is carried out. A coating 5 is produced or applied with or from the catalyst material. The catalyst material is applied in the present case by means of PVD methods. A CVD method is also conceivable. In the present case, the metal platinum is the catalyst material, i.e. not identical to the intermediate layer 4. The coating 5 has exactly one chemical element, optionally apart from impurities in the coating 5.A plurality of coatings 5 can also be provided or applied. Step 40 and / or step 50 can optionally be repeated as further steps or carried out a second, third or further time in order to achieve a multilayer layer structure.After application 50 or after coating, the strip or substrate 2 has a cross-section approximately as shown in FIG. 2C. On the top side, the intermediate layer 4 and the coating 5 are arranged. The intermediate layer 4 is an intermediate layer. The coating 5 is in the present case at least one and preferably at least two orders of magnitude thicker than the intermediate layer 4. the coating 5 is in the present case at least two and preferably at least three orders of magnitude thicker than the substrate 2.The coating 5 in the present case has a layer thickness 7 of 150 nm (nanometers). The thickness of the intermediate layer 4 can also be used to measure the layer thickness 7. The substrate 2 provided with the coating 5 has a total substrate thickness 6' in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.2 mm. A layer thickness 7 of the coating 5 of 150 nm (nanometers) or 0.15 μm (micrometers) or 0.00015 mm (millimeters) is approximately of no importance compared to the substrate thickness 6.In FIG. 2C, the substrate thickness 6' is exaggerated or exaggerated in dimension in order to visualize the coating 5. In terms of amount, the substrate thickness 6' corresponds to the substrate thickness 6, cf., for example, FIGS. 2A and 2B.In a step called discharge 60, after the application 50 or the actual coating of the catalyst material, the substrate 2 is brought out of the vacuum chamber and drawn through sealing lips or sealing rollers which contact the substrate 2 or the coating 5. At discharge 60, the pressure is increased again and the vacuum is released to reach atmospheric pressure.After the discharge 60, the substrate 2 provided with the coating 5 in the present case reaches between two further counter-rotating rollers which bring the entire preceding substrate 2 to strip tension, in particular in each of the above-described states or steps. Thus, the substrate 2 is held under tension between the rollers described above to enable a process-safe CVD or PVD method. There is a roll-to-roll and air-to-air process.In a step called processing 70, the coated substrate 2 is shaped after the discharge 60. This ensures that the coated substrate 2 becomes permeable to a fluid, in particular electrolyte and / or gas. In this step 70, the substrate 2 is stretched and, if appropriate, perforated or embossed. In the present case, for example, laser cutting and / or plasma cutting and / or etching and / or water jet cutting are optionally also carried out within the scope of the processing 70 in order to make the substrate 2 permeable to a fluid. This is achieved by in particular thermal material removal and / or by separating the material.After step 70, the strip or substrate 2 appears as an example as shown in FIG. 2D. A material section 8 was deformed and partially removed, which has produced a passage through the substrate 2 and the coating 5. Thus, an electrolyte or a gas can flow through the electrode 1 which is basically already formed.In a step called severing 80, after the processing 70, the coated and formed substrate 2 is cut to length in order to provide the dimensionally cut electrode 1.Steps 20, 30, 35, 38, 40, 50, 60, 70 and 80 take place simultaneously. A continuous process is present. In this respect, the steps mentioned take place viewed along the substrate 2 or take place one after the other for an individual section of the substrate 2.FIG. 3 shows a system 100 for producing electrodes 1. the system 100 has a PVD and / or CVD system 110 with a vacuum chamber. The PVD and / or CVD system is configured for the continuous application 40 of a catalyst material for producing a coating 5 on a rolled sheet serving as substrate 2 in a continuous process. The system 100 or the PVD and / or CVD installation 110 can carry out a roll-to-roll and air-to-air method.Furthermore, the system 100 has a material processing system 120 connected downstream of the PVD and / or CVD system 110. The material processing system 120 is configured to process, in particular to form, the substrate 2 provided with the coating 5 simultaneously with the application 40, and / or to process it by means of laser and / or by means of plasma and / or an etching medium and / or a water jet, more precisely to make and / or separate it permeable to a fluid.The material processing plant 120 can also carry out a severing 80 of the substrate 2 in order to provide dimensionally cut or length-cut electrodes 1 from the endless belt.It is not shown that the coated substrate is rolled up after exiting from the PVD and / or CVD system 110 and before entering the material processing system 120 and then rolled off again.An electrode 1 is shown and described, comprising a substrate 2 provided with a coating 5, and an intermediate layer 4 between the substrate 2 and the coating 5, wherein the substrate 2 provided with the coating 5 comprises a material section 8 processed, in particular formed, water-jet processed, etching processed, laser processed and / or plasma jet processed, after application 40 of a catalyst material for producing the coating 5, wherein the material section 8 is provided for producing a permeability of the substrate 2 provided with the coating 5 for a fluid, cf. in particular FIG. 2D.List of reference characters1 Electrode 2 Substrate 3 Surface layer 4 Intermediate layer 5 Coating 6, 6' Substrate thickness 7 Layer thickness 8 Material section 10 Rolling 20 Introduction 30 Surface modifier 35 Removal 38 Roughening 40 Application of intermediate layer 50 Application of catalyst material 60 Discharge 70 Processing 80 Separation 100 System 110 PVD and / or CVD system 120 Material processing system

Claims

Method for producing electrodes (1), comprising the steps of unrolling (10) a sheet metal to provide a substrate (2), surface modifying (30) the substrate (2), applying (50) a catalyst material to the substrate (2) to produce a coating (5) comprising the catalyst material, and processing (70), in particular forming and / or laser cutting and / or plasma cutting and / or water jet cutting and / or etching, the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) to produce a permeability of the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) for a fluid.Method according to the preceding claim, the processing (70) comprising stretching, rolling, perforating, structuring and / or punching, and / or the method comprising separating (80) portions of the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5), in particular after the processing (70).Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate (2) comprises metal, for example aluminum or iron, preferably titanium or nickel, in particular an alloy of a plurality of metals.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the substrate (2) has a substrate thickness (6) of at least 0.01 mm and / or at most 1 mm, preferably wherein the substrate thickness (6) is at least 0.05 mm and / or at most 0.80 mm, further preferably wherein the substrate thickness (6) is at least 0.10 mm and / or at most 0.50 mm, further preferably wherein the substrate thickness (6) is at least 0.10 mm and / or at most 0.30 mm.Method according to one of the preceding claims, the surface modifying (30) comprising removing (35) a surface layer (3) of the substrate (2), in particular plasma etching, in particular inverse magnetron sputtering and / or ion beam etching, and / or wet chemical cleaning.Method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising surface modifying (30) having roughening (38) the substrate (2), preferably mechanical processing, for example grinding or blasting, in particular sandblasting or shot blasting.Method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising surface modifying (30) comprising applying (40) an intermediate layer (4), in particular wherein the intermediate layer (4) comprises an adhesion promoting layer, a passivating intermediate layer and / or a corrosion-resistant intermediate layer, and / or applying (40) at least one further coating (5) and / or intermediate layer (4) in order to produce a multilayer layer structure.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the application (40) of the catalyst material is effected by a PVD and / or CVD method, and preferably wherein the application (40) of the intermediate layer (4) is effected by a / the PVD and / or CVD method.Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the method is carried out as a continuous process with at least the step of applying (40, 50) in a vacuum chamber (112), in particular roll-to-roll and air-to-air, in particular wherein the unrolling, the surface modifying (30) and the applying (40, 50), and preferably the processing (70), take place simultaneously.Method according to one of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of introducing (20) the substrate (2) into / the vacuum chamber (112), in particular by means of a sealing lip and / or sealing roller contacting the substrate (2), and discharging (60) the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) from the vacuum chamber (112), in particular by means of a sealing lip and / or sealing roller contacting the substrate (2).Method according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the catalyst material has exactly one, exactly two or more chemical elements, and preferably wherein the catalyst material is selected from the group of the metals and / or oxides and / or nitrides and / or carbides and / or salts, and preferably wherein the catalyst material has metals and / or oxides and / or nitrides, and / or is coated with a layer thickness (7) of at least 5 nm and / or at most 2000 nm, preferably wherein the layer thickness (7) is at least 10 nm and / or at most 1000 nm, further preferably wherein the layer thickness (7) is at least 20 nm and / or at most 500 nm, in particular wherein the layer thickness (7) is at least 50 nm and / or at most 250 nm.System (100) for producing electrodes (1), having a PVD and / or CVD system (110) which is configured for the continuous application (40) of a catalyst material for producing a coating (5) on a rolled sheet serving as substrate (2) in a continuous process, and a material processing system (120) which is connected downstream of the PVD and / or CVD system (110) and is configured to process, in particular to form, the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5), preferably simultaneously with the application (40), and / or to process it by means of laser and / or plasma and / or water jet and / or etching.Electrode (1) comprising a substrate (2) provided with a coating (5), and preferably an intermediate layer (4) between the substrate (2) and the coating (5), wherein the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) comprises at least one material section (8) processed, in particular formed, laser beam processed and / or plasma beam processed and / or water jet cut and / or etched, after application (40) of a catalyst material for producing the coating (5), wherein the material section (8) is provided for producing a permeability of the substrate (2) provided with the coating (5) for a fluid.

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