This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is focused on development of an economical process for production of nano-structured non-precious metal electrodes. Currently, many electrode applications use precious metals that make the technologies prohibitively expensive for wide-scale adoption. The materials being developed on this project have unique properties compared to conventional materials used in electrodes, and can be incorporated into a number of important applications. The materials are based on carbon nano-fibers, a similar material to carbon nano-tubes. The unique properties of these materials can be optimized by tuning particular features at the nanometer scale. In this project, a scalable process (up to tonnage quantities) using low cost starting materials will be developed for the production of these advanced materials with high performance for target electrode applications. The production process will be based on a unique patent-pending manufacturing route that allows the nano-structured carbon to be produced more economically than conventional routes. The process conditions will also be optimized to produce materials with the preferred properties for target electrode applications. The project will result in demonstration of a material with better performance than conventional electrodes that can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be related to more efficient forms of energy storage and usage. The strongest value proposition is for replacement of precious metals for use in air electrodes used in applications ranging from fuel cells and batteries, to industrial electrolysis. These applications are of particular interest since an inexpensive and stable electrode material could allow significant efficiency improvements to some of the largest sources of electricity consumption in the U.S., including energy storage for transportation, and chemical production. For example, because of their superior energy density (an order of magnitude higher), metal air batteries could potentially replace lithium ion batteries for use in electronic devices and electric vehicles. Additionally, with stable low cost air electrodes, the electrochemical production of chlorine (which consumes approximately 2% of electricity in the U.S.) would be 30% more efficient. The materials developed in this project will cost significantly less and last longer than current state-of-the-art materials, enabling their wide-scale adoption. The less expensive electrode materials will consequently reduce the cost of battery, fuel cell, and electrolysis technologies, ultimately enabling the adoption of more efficient and higher performing means of energy storage and use.
In this project, researchers at pH Matter, LLC developed a new catalyst for air cathodes based on novel carbon nano-materials. Air cathodes are used to activate oxygen in metal-air batteries, fuel cells, and industrial electrolysis processes. Metal-air batteries are commonly used in applications, such as hearing aids and remote sensors. Additionally, both fuel cells and metal-air batteries are being developed for energy storage in automotive and renewable energy applications. Further, more efficient electrolysis processes with air cathodes are being developed to reduce electricity consumption in the production of chemicals. Currently, to achieve high performance and long-term durability, expensive precious metals must be used in air cathodes, which limits the commercial viability of the technologies discussed above. With NSF funding, pH Matter demonstrated a non-precious metal catalyst that exceeded the performance properties of currently used commercial precious metal catalysts for air cathodes in a range of applications. Further, the catalyst showed better long-term durability than any competing catalyst. A process was designed to produce large quantities of the new material. In future work, this material will be demonstrated in fully functional prototype electrochemical cells. pH Matter will become a supplier of this material to next generation cell and device manufacturers. The resulting material will be applicable to a number of electrode, catalyst, and sorbent applications. The strongest value proposition of pH Matter’s material is for replacement of precious metal electrodes for use in corrosive environments. Applications for these electrodes will include high power batteries, industrial electrolysis reactions, and fuel cells. The air cathode material developed in this project will cost at least 50% less and last longer than the current state-of-the-art precious metal electrodes, enabling wide-scale adoption of the respective technologies. As a result, these next generation low-cost high efficiency cells will promote energy efficiency, and reduce costs associated with alternative enrgy sources.
