US 12,442,088 B2
Electrode assembly and electrolyser
Martin Philip Hogarth, Cheshire (GB); Laura Elizabeth Mawdsley, Lancashire (GB); and Stefano Neodo, Nidau (CH)
Assigned to INEOS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, Jersey (GB)
Appl. No. 17/794,884
Filed by INEOS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED, Jersey (GB)
PCT Filed Jan. 11, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/050368
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jul. 22, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/148265, PCT Pub. Date Jul. 29, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 20153671 (EP), filed on Jan. 24, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0079666 A1, Mar. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. C25B 1/02 (2006.01); C25B 1/04 (2021.01); C25B 1/24 (2021.01); C25B 1/26 (2006.01); C25B 9/40 (2021.01); C25B 9/73 (2021.01); C25B 9/77 (2021.01); C25B 11/031 (2021.01); C25B 11/037 (2021.01); C25B 11/053 (2021.01); C25B 11/065 (2021.01); C25B 11/081 (2021.01)
CPC C25B 1/02 (2013.01) [C25B 1/04 (2013.01); C25B 1/24 (2013.01); C25B 1/26 (2013.01); C25B 9/40 (2021.01); C25B 9/73 (2021.01); C25B 9/77 (2021.01); C25B 11/031 (2021.01); C25B 11/037 (2021.01); C25B 11/053 (2021.01); C25B 11/065 (2021.01); C25B 11/081 (2021.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrode assembly for the production of hydrogen comprising:
i) an anode structure which comprises an anode located within an anode electrolysis compartment,
ii) a cathode structure which comprises a cathode located within a cathode electrolysis compartment containing a solution of an alkali metal hydroxide,
wherein the cathode comprises:
a) An electrically conductive metal substrate, and
b) An electrocatalytic layer on the substrate said layer comprising at least one metal supported on an electrically conductive support material, wherein
a. the at least one metal is selected from platinum group metals, rhenium, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum, and
b. the electrocatalytic layer comprises 90 to 99.8% by volume of the electrically conductive support material, and wherein the electrically conductive support material is formed of particles having an average particle size of less than 5 μm (5 microns) and which are not metallic particles, the electrically conductive support material having a surface area of 50 m2/ g to 2000 m2/ g, and
c. the electrocatalytic layer has a thickness of 0.5 to 100 μm, and a porosity in the form of a three-dimensional network of channels between the deposited particles which channels have an average diameter of between 5 and 500 nm, and wherein the electrocatalytic layer comprises 0.2 to 10% by volume of the at least one metal.