Gradient Coated Electrolysis Electrode Against Firing Delamination

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing electrodes for electrolysis face durability issues such as cracking and delamination due to the inclusion of a tin component with a platinum group metal in the coating layer, primarily caused by differences in thermal expansion coefficients during the firing process.

Innovation Solution

The electrode is designed with a stacked coating layer structure where the tin content decreases and titanium content increases with distance from the metal substrate, maintaining a controlled thermal expansion coefficient gradient to prevent delamination while enhancing performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a tin component is included in the coating layer with platinum group metals to improve performance and current efficiency, then electrode performance is improved, but delamination and cracking occur during high-temperature firing due to the low thermal expansion coefficient of tin

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecurrent efficiencyVSAvoiddurability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating a gradient distribution of tin and titanium components across the coating layers. The first coating layer (adjacent to the substrate) has lower tin content and higher titanium content to match the substrate's thermal expansion characteristics, while subsequent layers have progressively higher tin content to improve performance. This localized variation in composition allows each region to have properties optimized for its specific function, preventing delamination at the substrate interface while maintaining high current efficiency in the outer layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the compositional parameters of the coating layers by controlling the mol% ratios of tin and titanium components across different layers. By adjusting these parameters to satisfy specific relationships (CSn-1/CTn-1 ≤ 2 and CTn-1/CTn ≥ 0.5), the thermal expansion coefficients are optimized at each interface to prevent delamination while maintaining the performance benefits of tin inclusion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If the thermal expansion coefficient of the coating layer is reduced to match the substrate, then delamination is suppressed, but the performance and current efficiency are compromised

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovedurabilityVSAvoidcurrent efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the coating into multiple layers with progressively different compositions. The first layer adjacent to the substrate has composition optimized for thermal expansion matching (lower tin, higher titanium), while subsequent layers have composition optimized for electrochemical performance (higher tin). This segmentation allows each layer to independently optimize for its primary function without compromising the overall system performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality by creating a gradient distribution of tin and titanium components across the coating layers. The first coating layer (adjacent to the substrate) has lower tin content and higher titanium content to match the substrate's thermal expansion characteristics, while subsequent layers have progressively higher tin content to improve performance. This localized variation in composition allows each region to have properties optimized for its specific function, preventing delamination at the substrate interface while maintaining high current efficiency in the outer layers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design effectively suppresses delamination and maintains excellent performance and durability by minimizing thermal expansion coefficient differences between layers, ensuring consistent current efficiency and catalytic activity.

Implementation Method 1

the tin component has a low thermal expansion coefficient compared to other metal elements, and thus, may cause cracking and delamination in the coating layer during a high-temperature firing process

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal expansion: Thermal Expansion

Data Source

PatentUS12624469B2Electrode for electrolysis

Publication Date: 2026.05.12 LG CHEM LTD

AI summary

An electrode for electrolysis and a method for manufacturing the same, wherein an electrode coating layer for electrolysis is provided in plurality, and the tin content in each coating layer is configured to increase as the distance from a substrate increases, and the titanium content therein is configured to decrease as the distance from the substrate increases, so that excellent performance is maintained, and also delamination and the like does not occur during firing, so that excellent durability may be implemented.