Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis – effect of pretreatment before electrocoating Ti anode support.

In proton exchange membrane water electrolysis system, higher hydrogen production rate, as well as medical-grade ozone generation is obtained if the applied voltage is increased from 2.0 V to 3.5 V. However, this also leads to harsh conditions encountered by both anode and anode support of membrane electrode assembly. For example, Ti plate as anode support, needs coating to prevent corrosion and to stabilize operation. In this study, commercial Ti plates are polished with sand papers of different degree of roughness before electrocoating. The characteristics of the coated Ti anode support are determined by field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and electrolyzer test. In conclusion, the performance of coated Ti anode support improved with polish, reach a maximum and then decrease with highest degree roughness. • Polishing metallic anode plate surface reduces the ICR. • Optimal roughness of metallic anode plate is beneficial for anti-corrosion materials attachment. • Anti-corrosion materials attachment lead to stable PEMWE performance. • Ti plate polished with P1200 sand paper gives optimum performance in PEMWE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]