Structural Investigation of Orthoborate-Based Electrolytic Materials for Fuel Cell Applications

Jarosław Milewski (), Piotr Ryś, Anna Krztoń-Maziopa, Grażyna Żukowska, Karolina Majewska, Magdalena Zybert, Jacek Kowalczyk and Maciej Siekierski
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Jarosław Milewski: Institute of Heat Engineering, Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Nowowiejska 21, 00-665 Warsaw, Poland
Piotr Ryś: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland
Anna Krztoń-Maziopa: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland
Grażyna Żukowska: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland
Karolina Majewska: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland
Magdalena Zybert: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland
Jacek Kowalczyk: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland
Maciej Siekierski: Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, ul. Noakowskiego 3, 00-664 Warszawa, Poland

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-23

Abstract: The paper presented delivers the proof for one of the possible solutions to the so-called medium-temperature gap—the lack of electrolytic systems able to efficiently work in a temperature range spanning from 200 to 450 °C. Regardless of the progress made in this field, the commercially available systems are still operating either at close to ambient temperatures, where hydrogen purity requirements are a significant limit, or above ca. 600 °C, where they suffer from increased corrosion and excessive thermal stresses occurring during startup and shutdown. Alkali metal orthoborates (M 3 BO 3 M = Li, Na, K, or the mixture of these), in contrast to commercially used tetra-(M 2 B 4 O 7 ) and meta-(MBO 2 ) borates of these metals, are compounds with relatively poorly understood structure and physicochemical properties. The possibility of their application as an electrolyte in a fuel cell is a relatively new idea and has been preliminary reported. Therefore, an extended phase-focused analysis of the materials applied was needed to re-optimize both the synthetic strategy and the application route. Results of PXRD and FT-IR investigations showed, on the one hand, a complicated multi-phase structure, including the main orthoborate phase, as well as the presence of additional borate-based phases, including boric oxoacid. On the other hand, DTA tests proved not only that their melting temperatures are lower than these characteristics for the tetra- and meta-counterparts, but also that cation mixing leads to a subsequent decrease in this important functional parameter of the materials studied.

Keywords: alkali metal orthoborates; molten salt-based electrolytes; structural investigations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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