Effect of porous irregular ZrO2 nanoparticles on the performance of alkaline water electrolysis composite separator membranes under complex conditions

Abstract

Developing composite separator membranes with low area resistance, high bubble point pressure, and long-term safety and stability is crucial for alkaline water electrolysis for hydrogen production as a key component of electrolyzer systems. In this study, PPS mesh fabric reinforced PSF@ZrO₂ composite separator membranes were successfully prepared using the immersion-drawing phase inversion method, with PSF as the alkali-resistant polymer matrix and porous irregular ZrO₂ nanoparticles as the hydrophilic additive. The experimental results showed that replacing commercial ZrO₂ with porous irregular ZrO₂ nanoparticles at an 85 wt% ZrO₂ nanoparticle loading improved both bubble point pressure and current transmission efficiency, attributed to the change in the morphological structure of the ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The P-Z85 composite separator membrane exhibited highly promising characteristics, with a high bubble point pressure of 3.76 bar and a low area resistance of 0.20 Ω cm². Stability tests conducted in 30 wt% KOH electrolyte at 80 °C and a current density of 0.65 A cm⁻² demonstrated excellent continuous electrolysis stability for the P-Z85 composite separator membrane. These results indicate that the PSF@ZrO₂/PPS composite separator membrane prepared in this study exhibits excellent performance in 30 wt% KOH electrolyte, significantly extending its service life.