Controlled Acid Strategy Extends CO2 Electrolyser Lifespan

(MENAFN- The Arabian Post)

A novel method from Rice University scientists means electrochemical CO2 conversion devices can now run more than 50 times longer thanks to a simple yet effective switch in their humidification process. By bubbling carbon dioxide through a gentle acid-such as hydrochloric, formic or acetic-the team has prevented blockages that previously cut runtimes to mere hundreds of hours.

Electrochemical CO2 reduction systems traditionally suffer from salt buildup. Potassium ions migrating across anion-exchange membranes react with CO2 under alkaline conditions, forming potassium bicarbonate crystals that obstruct gas flow and damage electrodes. Devices with water-humidified gas typically fail within 80–100 hours due to rapid clogging.

Scientists at Rice, led by associate professor Haotian Wang, introduced acid-humidified CO2-passing the gas through a mild acid bubbler before entry into the electrolyser. This produces trace acid vapour that dissolves potential salt-forming substances, ensuring they remain soluble and flush out of the system.

Testing showed remarkable results. In lab-scale silver-catalysed setups, acid-treated systems operated stably for over 2,000 hours-outperforming traditional setups by a factor of 25. Crucially, in a scaled-up 100‐cm2 electrolyser, it lasted more than 4,500 hours without degradation.

The technique proved versatile across various catalyst types-zinc oxide, copper oxide and bismuth oxide-retaining efficiency and stability. Even with the acid environment, the low concentrations used avoided corrosion of membranes or metal contacts, confirming its practical viability.

Transparent test reactors provided visual confirmation: in water-humidified systems salt crystals appeared within 48 hours, but acid-humidified units stayed clear even after hundreds of hours of operation. Co-first authors Shaoyun Hao and Ahmad Elgazzar noted that this method“addresses a long-standing obstacle with a low‐cost, easily implementable solution” by maintaining salts in dissolved form.

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The breakthrough, published this month in Science, signals a major step towards commercial viability of CO2 reduction technology. The simplicity of modifying existing humidification setups means retrofitting is feasible without costly redesigns. The approach is already compatible with current anion‐exchange membranes and catalysts, indicating potential for rapid adoption in pilot and industrial systems.

Electrochemical CO2 conversion technologies represent a promising route for turning excess CO2 into industrial feedstocks like carbon monoxide, ethylene and alcohols, powered by renewable energy. Stable long-term operation is critical to the commercial roll-out, and this breakthrough may finally close a key gap.

Funding was provided by the Robert A. Welch Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and internal Rice grants. This innovation will likely accelerate development of durable, low‐cost systems, promoting circular carbon economies and sustainable fuel production without traditional fossil inputs.

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