Systems of two immiscible liquids are proposed for a new type of membraneless fuel cells using renewable fuel, in which the stationary phase boundary carries out a role of membrane. These systems consist of water, alcohol (preferable ethanol) and a number of electrolytes (salts and bases) leading to the layering of aqueous alcohol. In such systems top phase has significant alcohol content and insignificant electrolyte content, bottom phase has significant electrolyte content and insignificant alcohol content. To study the layering conditions in these systems, binodal curves were plotted for three two-phase liquid systems (EtOH + K2CO3 + H2O; EtOH + K3PO4 + H2O, EtOH + KOH + H2O), using the cloud point method. Comparison of our experimental data with the results of other authors showed that they are consistent for the first and second systems, and the temperature dependence of the binodal curves is clearly visible for the third system. The specific system EtOH -30 % m/m; KOH -40 % m/m; H2O -30 % m/m was taken as the basis for studies of fuel cells based on two immiscible liquids. A further area of research lies in the field of optimizing the composition of both phases, studying the processes of mass transfer in these systems and their physicochemical characteristics.
The possibility of using various materials as electrodes for membraneless fuel cells based on immiscible liquids, both from the standpoint of the thermodynamic possibility of the process and from the point of view of their corrosion resistance, is considered. The corrosion resistance of materials from alloys based on iron, as well as carbon was investigated for use as electrodes in membraneless fuel cells based on immiscible liquids. The possibility of using them instead of electrodes based on ruthenium and platinum in the studied alkaline aqueous ethanol system was shown. It was found that the highest electromotive force in the system occurs when using an activated carbon anode in the top ethanol phase and a carbon steel 10 cathodes in the bottom aqueous phase. The possibility of using activated carbon instead of a ruthenium-coated titanium electrode and platinum-coated titanium electrode, at almost equal exchange currents, will significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing a fuel cell. Thus under certain conditions, this type of fuel cell can compete with membrane fuel cells that have received industrial implementation
The possibility of using base metals and alloys based on them as electrodes for a new type of membraneless fuel cells operating on renewable fuel has been investigated. The phase boundary of two immiscible liquids in the ethanol-water-potassium hydroxide system plays a role of a membrane in these elements. Top phase of this fuel cell has significant alcohol content and insignificant electrolyte content, bottom phase has significant electrolyte content and insignificant alcohol content. Platinum-and rutheniumcoated titanium electrode, carbon electrode and stainless steel electrode were used as the anode. Stainless steel electrode and carbon steel electrode were used as the cathode. The possibility of using ferrous alloys as anode and cathode catalysts in this type of fuel cells is shown.
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