SBIR Phase I: Polymer electrolyte membrane synthesis to enable low cost, durable fuel cells through novel material innovation

SBIR 第一阶段：聚合物电解质膜合成，通过新型材料创新实现低成本、耐用的燃料电池

• 批准号: 1548861
• 负责人: Gabriel Rodriguez-Calero
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Ecolectro, Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2016-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1548861&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Polymer; electrolyte; membrane

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is to develop alkaline anion exchange membranes (AAEM) to enable lower cost and durable fuel cells. Widespread adoption of fuel cell technologies has been difficult due to high costs, which are mostly due to use of precious metal catalysts and the expensive polymer electrolyte components. Using AAEM technology allows the use less expensive non-precious metal catalysts (e.g. stainless steel, nickel, cobalt, and their alloys). Non-precious metals have facile electrochemical reaction kinetics and are stable under alkaline operating conditions making them prime candidates as catalysts. Moreover, the polymer electrolyte, in this case the AAEM, when manufactured at scale should be less expensive than the current technology. This technology has the potential to enable the widespread deployment of fuel cell systems by reducing cost and making fuel cells more economically competitive. The technical objectives of this Phase I research project are to decrease the number of steps in the synthesis pathway of AAEMs, while simultaneously reducing time and increasing yields. These reductions in the number of steps will provide time and raw materials savings in the overall synthesis of the polymer. The increased yield of the reaction will ensure more efficient use of raw materials that in the end will provide a more sustainable pathway to make the AAEMs, while providing some added cost benefits. Increasing the reaction yields and decreasing the number of steps will provide reductions in production time that can be directly related to increasing manufacturing efficiency and lowering labor costs. The technical objectives will provide necessary information to scale-up production of AAEMs. Proving these technical development milestones is of crucial importance for the further development, specifically scale-up, and commercialization of our technology.

该小企业创新研究第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是开发碱性阴离子交换膜（AAEM），以实现成本更低且耐用的燃料电池。由于成本高昂，燃料电池技术的广泛采用一直很困难，这主要是由于使用了贵金属催化剂和昂贵的聚合物电解质成分。使用 AAEM 技术可以使用更便宜的非贵金属催化剂（例如不锈钢、镍、钴及其合金）。非贵金属具有良好的电化学反应动力学，并且在碱性操作条件下稳定，这使得它们成为催化剂的主要候选者。此外，聚合物电解质（在本例中为 AAEM）在大规模生产时应该比当前技术更便宜。该技术有潜力通过降低成本并使燃料电池更具经济竞争力来实现燃料电池系统的广泛部署。该第一阶段研究项目的技术目标是减少 AAEM 合成途径的步骤数，同时减少时间并提高产量。步骤数量的减少将为聚合物的整体合成节省时间和原材料。反应产量的增加将确保更有效地利用原材料，最终将为制造 AAEM 提供更可持续的途径，同时提供一些额外的成本效益。提高反应产率和减少步骤数将减少生产时间，这与提高制造效率和降低劳动力成本直接相关。技术目标将为扩大 AAEM 的生产规模提供必要的信息。证明这些技术发展里程碑对于我们技术的进一步发展，特别是规模化和商业化至关重要。