Study of ABPBI membrane as an alternative separator for vanadium redox flow batteries

Abstract

Vanadium redox flow batteries are receiving great attention due to their capabilities of offering multiscale energy-storage and cross-contamination-free system. Ion-exchange membrane (IEM), which is one of the critical components in the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) system, simultaneously prevents the cross-mixing of active vanadium species, and facilitates the movement of the proton. The cross-mixing of the vanadium species influences coulombic efficiency (CE), whereas the proton movement influences the voltage and energy efficiency (EE). Hence, IEM plays a major role in the performance of the battery in terms of self-discharge rate, CE, crossover of active material, and ionic conductivity. In the present work, the suitability of an alternative low-cost, efficient, and durable membrane, which are essential for providing a sustainable solution for VRFB, is studied. 2,5-Polybenzimidazole membrane is studied as an alternative membrane and evaluated in a VRFB with mixed electrolyte, which has the potential to offer a substantial reduction in the cost. The mixed electrolyte helps in extending the operating temperature.2,5-Polybenzimidazole membrane-based VRFB shows CE, EE, and voltage efficiency as 99%, 83%, and 84%, respectively, which is comparable to Nafion membrane. K E Y W O R D S2,5-polybenzimidazole (ABPBI), separator, vanadium redox flow batteries

Efficient N2 Electrofixation to NH3 Through Optimizing Binder‐Catalyst Configuration

“…Nafion 117 �0.1 [64] �0.1 [65] 54° [ 66] 6.7 � 0.4 PVDF-HFP �1.6×10 À 3[62] �1.5×10 À 11 [57] 132° [ 58] 17.1 � 0.9 materials, restricting solution access to the catalyst for both systems. This would explain the lower yield compared to Fe 2 O 3 , even though the surface area is greater.…”

Cost estimation and performance evaluation of 3D printed membranes for vanadium redox flow batteries

“…PEEK filament supplied by 3Dxtech (Grand Rapids, MI USA) was used for membrane preparation, this filament having a diameter of 1.75 ± 0.02 mm and a density of 1.24 g/cm 3 . The PEEK membrane was directly printed on a heated glass bed using an Intamsys Funmat HT printer.…”

“…While they represent very attractive solutions, they suffer from intermittency issues that require using an energy storage technology to overcome 1,2 . The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is considered the most promising storage technology due to its attractive characteristics that include a flexible design, high safety, and long life 3,4 . With the expiration of the basic VRFB patent, various companies have shown interest in developing this technology while research grew worldwide in a wide range of VRFB areas 5 .…”

“…1,2 The vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) is considered the most promising storage technology due to its attractive characteristics that include a flexible design, high safety, and long life. 3,4 With the expiration of the basic VRFB patent, various companies have shown interest in developing this technology while research grew worldwide in a wide range of VRFB areas. 5 Current VRFB systems have operation costs rated between 550 and 650 $/kWh, a level judged too high to be broadly accepted by the industry.…”

Alkyl Spacer Grafted ABPBI Membranes with Enhanced Acid-Absorption Capabilities for Use in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

“…3,4-Diaminobenzoic acid, the monomer of ABPBI, is environmentally friendly and much more economically available compared to 3,3-diaminobenzidine, the monomer of poly­[2,2′-m-(phenylene)-5,5′-bibenzimidazole] (m-PBI) or poly­(4,4′-diphenylether-5,5′-bibenzimidazole) (O-PBI). In spite of its advantages, ABPBI has been rarely used as an electrolyte membrane for VRFBs. − ,− This is because of the poor solubility of ABPBI in common organic solvents except for strong acid; a strong acid must be employed as a solvent to cast ABPBI membranes. Also, ABPBI chain forms strong and populated interchain hydrogen bonding due to its regular chain structure and short repeating unit (compared with other PBIs).…”