Materials of Electrochemical Equipment Their degradation and Corrosion
- Slides: 26
Materials of Electrochemical Equipment, Their degradation and Corrosion Summer school on electrochemical engineering, Palic, Republic of Serbia Prof. a. D. Dr. Hartmut Wendt, TUD
Material Choices • Metals (steels) as conventional selfsupporting materials for electrodes, electrolyzer troughs, gas – pipes and bipolar plates • Ionomers for diaphragms • Polymers as insulating materials
Metals • CORROSION • Mechanical wear and erosion • High temperature sintering and granule growth • High temperature surface oxidation and internal oxidation of non noble constituents
Polymers and Ionomers • Bon breaking by oxidation (oxygen and peroxides) • Reduction ( lower valent metal ions, hydrogen) • Solvolysis (preferentially hydrolysis) by acids and bases. • Particular for Ionomer membranes (MEAs) is delamination
Carbon A special story of its own
Characteristic data of some important metallic materials g/cm 3 density US$/kg 7. 8 price** unalloyed steels Material UTS* N/mm 2 200 to 300 stainless steels 200 to 300 8. 2 1. 5 to 3 100 9. 3. 8 to 4. 7 titanium 420 to 650 4. 5 6 zirconium 500 to 700 6. 4 10 hafnium 500 to 1200 13 nickel tantalum*** 16. 6 0. 5 200 to 350 --------------------------------* UTS = Ultimate tensile strength ** Price in US $/kg; calculated from prices valid for the Ger. Fed. Rep. 1997 with rate of 1 US $ = 1. 7 DM *** very soft and ductile material which may be used only for corrosion-protection coatings exchange
p. H-potential (Pourbaix) diagrams A diagnostic thermodynamic tool Identifying existing phases as Condition for potential passivity
What tells the Pourbaix diagram ? • Iron might become passive at O 2 – potential and at p. H beyond 2. It will never be immune. • Nickel is immune at p. H greater 8 in presence of hydrogen, but there is only a reserve of 80 m. V • Chromium (and steels with Cr) is never immune but might become passive • Titanium is never immune but might become passive over total p. H – range and potentials more positive than RHE.
High temperatures and Metals • High temperatures (> 600 o. C), and longterm exposure in HT – fuel cells would lead to total oxidation on oxygen side (exception is only gold). • Fe-containing alloys might become passive because of formation of protective oxide layers from alloy components (W, Mo, Cr. Al and other). • Internal oxidation by oxygen diffusion into metals and preferential oxidation of non-noble components can change internal structure (dispersion hardening) • On hydrogen side there might occur hydrogenembrittlement (Ti, Zr)
Carbon in Fuel Cells • The element carbon is not nobler than hydrogen. • It is unstable against atmospheric and anodic oxidation in particular at enhanced temperature (PAFC: 220 o. C) • At still higher temperature it also becomes unstable towards steam (C+H 20 ->CO+H 2)
anodic oxidation of active Carbon At 180 o to 200 o. C C + 2 H 2 O CO 2 + 4 H+ + 4 e-
Polymers and Ionomers Properties and deterioration
* Price in Germany mid 1997. Rate of exchange: 1 US $ equal 1. 7 DM, Source: Kunststoff Information (KI), D - 61350 Bad Homburg
Non – Fluorinated Polymers • May only be used with non – oxidizing electrolytes and atmospheres • Very often need glass-fiber enforcement • Chlorinated and perchlorinated polymers are chemically more stable than non-chlorinated polymers • Polyesters and amides are sensitive against hydrolysis in strongly acid and caustic electrolyte • They are cheaper than fluorinated polymers Polystyrenes are not acceptable for Fuel cells and electrolyzers
Fluorinated Polymers • Perfluorinated Polymers (Teflon. TM) are most stable polymers • They are soft and tend to creep and flow • Polyvinyliden-fluoride tends to stresscorrosion-cracking at elevated temperature in contact to acid soltutions (For details look at DECHEMA- WERKSTOFFTABELLEN)
Ionomers – Ion-exchange membranes • In batteries non-fluorinated ion-exchange membranes are sometimes used as separators – but are usually too expensive • Nafion. TM had been developed for the cloroalkali electroysis and had become the material of choice for fuel cells (PEMFC) • Weakness: High water transfer; at least 4 H 2 O per H+ transferred (also methanol)
Nafion. TM : Perfluorinated polyether-sulfonic acid Phase-separation: aqueous/non-aqueous
Anion exchange membranes are chemically less stable
Delamination of MEAs • Reason: Weak contact between prefabricated PEM and PEM-bonded elctrocatalyst layer • Lifetime of MEAs can be extended steady fuel cell operation, because repeated hydration/dehydration with subsequent change of degree of swelling exerts stress on the bond between membrane and catalyst
NEW membrane materials • Aim: reduce swelling, water and methanol or ethanol transport, improve durability of contact between membrane and catalyst layer • Sulfonated polyaryls, polyethetherketones (PEEKs) and Polyaryl-sulfones (all new PEM-materials are sulfonic acids)
Summary The electrochemical engineer needs not to be an expert in material science but he needs to know when to go and ask material scientists
- Galvanic corrosion
- Mechanism of wet corrosion
- Types of electrochemical corrosion
- Dry corrosion and wet corrosion
- Difference between wet corrosion and dry corrosion
- Flow of anions and cations in an electrochemical cell
- Chemical machining applications
- Estimation of degradation function
- Purification table
- Prdp biochemistry
- Mechanical degradation
- Metabolismn
- How environmental degradation occurs
- Noise
- Light induced degradation
- Edman degradation
- Purification yield calculation
- Conclusion of environmental degradation
- How environmental degradation occurs
- Land degradation definition
- Fructose 1 6 bisphosphatase
- Jurawatt
- Abnormal degradation of disaccharides
- Edman degradation
- Tag degradation
- Glycogen degradation
- Linear position invariant degradation