Porous Nickel Electrode for Water Electrolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing nickel electrodes face challenges in achieving a firmly adhering nickel layer on electrically conductive carriers with high mechanical stability and advantageous electrochemical properties for water electrolysis, particularly in avoiding the complexity and expense of sintering processes.
Innovation Solution
A self-supporting nickel electrode with a layer of spherical, porous nickel particles is produced by partially reducing nickel hydroxide particles, forming a paste with a binder, and tempering it in a reducing atmosphere, allowing for a pressureless coating process that results in a mechanically stable and electrochemically effective layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a sintering process is used to produce nickel electrodes, then the nickel layer adheres firmly to the carrier, but the process becomes complex and expensive requiring high contact pressure at elevated temperature
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the parameters of the nickel layer by creating a porous structure with specific pore sizes (0.1-10 μm) and controlling the particle morphology (spherical particles with 1-50 μm diameter). This allows the layer to adhere firmly without requiring high-temperature sintering with contact pressure, thus reducing process complexity while maintaining strong adhesion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a porous nickel layer structure where spherical nickel particles are arranged to form interconnected pores. This porous structure provides large surface area for adhesion to the carrier while maintaining mechanical stability without requiring complex sintering processes. The porosity (30-70%) is optimized to balance adhesion strength and electrochemical performance.
2Reliability
If conventional nickel electrodes are used, then they have good mechanical stability, but they lack advantageous electrochemical properties for water electrolysis
Solution Approach 1:
The porous nickel layer with 30-70% porosity and pore sizes of 0.1-10 μm provides both mechanical stability and enhanced electrochemical performance. The porous structure increases the active surface area for water electrolysis reactions while maintaining structural integrity through the interconnected particle network.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from dense nickel structures to a three-dimensional porous network of spherical particles. This dimensional change creates internal surface area within the layer thickness, providing both mechanical robustness and improved electrochemical activity for hydrogen and oxygen generation.
3Area of stationary object
If spherical, porous nickel particles are used, then the internal surface area increases for better gas generation, but the adhesion to the carrier becomes more difficult without contact pressure
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the particle size parameters (1-50 μm diameter) and porosity (30-70%) to achieve a balance where the spherical porous particles provide large internal surface area while maintaining sufficient adhesion to the carrier without requiring contact pressure during deposition.
Solution Approach 2:
The nickel layer is formulated as a composite structure combining spherical nickel particles with controlled porosity. This composite approach allows the particles to adhere to the carrier through their surface area while the internal porous structure provides additional surface area for electrochemical reactions, achieving both adhesion and high surface area requirements.
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
The method enables a nickel electrode with a large internal surface area, enhancing gas generation during oxygen and hydrogen production in water electrolysis, with improved current densities and mechanical stability, and avoids the use of high-temperature sintering processes.
Implementation Method 1
b) partially reducing the spherical nickel hydroxide particles in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures to obtain partially reduced spherical Ni/NiO particles
Implementation Method 2
e) tempering the coated nickel sheet in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures
Implementation Method 3
tempering the coated nickel sheet in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures
Implementation Method 4
a nickel layer deposited thereon which consists of spherical, porous nickel particles which adhere to each other and have a large internal surface area
Data Source
AI summary
Nickel electrodes comprising an electrically conductive nickel sheet and a nickel layer deposited thereon which consists of spherical, porous nickel particles which adhere to each other, made by the method of partially reducing spherical nickel hydroxide particles in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures to obtain partially reduced spherical Ni/NiO particles, preparing a paste from the Ni/NiO particles obtained and an organic and/or inorganic binder as well as further excipients as required, applying the paste in a layer to one or both sides of the electrically conductive nickel sheet, and tempering the coated nickel sheet in a reducing atmosphere at elevated temperatures. Self-supporting nickel layers of spherical, porous nickel particles which adhere to each other. Producing nickel electrodes and the self-supporting nickel layer, and use thereof, particularly as an electrode for water electrolysis.