Novel stack design for PEM electrolyzers promises lower production costs – pv magazine International

Researchers in Germany have built bipolar plates for electrolyzer stacks without using titanium, which they claim may further reduce green hydrogen costs. They used coated stainless steel and niobium for the stack coating and found these new materials do not affect electrolyzer performance. June 8, 2022 Emiliano BelliniA group of researchers from Germany has proposed to replace titanium (Ti) bipolar plates (BPPs) in proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzers with plates based on coated stainless steel (ss) in an effort to reduce current high manufacturing costs. “PEM electrolyzers currently use costly materials, such as titanium and platinum group metals (PGM), due to the harsh oxidative conditions within the cells,” the scientists emphasized, noting that BPPs account for up to 60% of the stack costs.They used plates with a circular shape and an active area of 86 cm2…

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