Electrolysis

Anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEM electrolysis) combines the advantages of alkaline electrolysis with those of membrane technology. It enables the use of precious metal-free catalysts while utilising the proven manufacturing and design principles of PEM technology for cost-efficient hydrogen production.

Our focus is on the production and characterisation of new precious metal-free catalysts and the development of innovative MEA manufacturing processes.

PEM stands for either proton exchange membrane or polymer electrolyte membrane. PEM electrolysis offers high efficiency and compact system designs with industrial outputs of up to several hundred megawatts. The use of precious materials leads to higher investment costs, but ongoing research in areas such as material development and degradation analysis aims to further improve the technology and extend its service life.

We focus on developing and evaluating cell components, catalysts and membranes for PEM water electrolysis.

For the production of hydrogen via the electrolysis of water, ZBT develops and operates laboratory test cells that are used to characterise cell components such as membranes, catalysts and current distributors. Materials for PEM and AEM electrolysis are investigated.

In addition, ZBT offers testing capabilities for electrolysis stacks and systems with a maximum electrical power of 40 kW and pressures up to 35 bar. These enable comprehensive testing and degradation analyses, including gas analyses and real-time monitoring. Test stations for single cells and stacks as well as various software tools for analysis are available.

• Characterisation and performance testing for membranes, catalysts and stacks
• Lifetime tests under real operating conditions
• Efficiency and load analyses