KR20250080060A - Porous transport layer, composition for manufacturing the same, method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention provides a porous material transfer layer, a composition for producing the same, and a method for producing the same, which may include 30 to 80 wt% of a metal fiber-like material and 20 to 70 wt% of a metal particle-like material relative to the total weight, wherein each metal of the metal fiber-like material and the metal particle-like material may include a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

Description

{POROUS TRANSPORT LAYER, COMPOSITION FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a porous material transfer layer, a composition for producing the same, and a method for producing the same.

The oxidation electrode in the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis system has harsh conditions, so a porous transport layer (PTL) made of titanium or other materials is applied instead of carbon materials. This PTL is located between the oxidation electrode and the separator and contributes to inducing electrolysis and oxygen generation reactions. The PTL is identified as the main deterioration point in the electrolysis system, and is designated as a key factor in determining performance, durability, and cost.

These PTLs can generally be applied to porous sintered bodies. However, research and development is needed for sintered bodies that can operate under high temperature and high pressure, kW-class water electrolysis conditions, minimize the formation of non-uniform horizontally aligned pores, and secure appropriate mechanical strength.

Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2021-0109928, published on September 7, 2021, titanium porous sintered body and its manufacturing method

The present invention is intended to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to provide a porous material transfer layer that is superior in performance both at low current and high current, has good porosity, gas permeability and strength, and facilitates the movement of reactants and products.

The purpose of the present invention is not limited to the purpose mentioned above. The purpose of the present invention will become more clear from the following description, and will be realized by the means and combinations thereof described in the claims.

In order to achieve the above purpose, a porous material transfer layer according to one aspect of the present invention is

The composition may include 30 to 80 wt% of the metal fiber-like material and 20 to 70 wt% of the metal particle-like material, based on the total weight, and each metal of the metal fiber-like material and the metal particle-like material may include a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the metal fiber-like material may have an average diameter of 10 μm to 50 μm.

In one embodiment, the length of the metal fiber-like material may be 30 to 1,000 times the diameter.

In one embodiment, the metal particulate material may have an average size of 5 μm to 80 μm.

In one embodiment, the surface roughness Ra can be from 2.5 ㎛ to 9.5 ㎛.

In one embodiment, the porosity may be from 30% to 60%.

In one embodiment, the gas permeability can be from 2.8·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s to 8.2·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s.

In one embodiment, the thickness may be from 100 μm to 1000 μm.

In order to achieve the above purpose, a composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to one aspect of the present invention is

A metal fiber-shaped raw material; a metal particle-shaped raw material; and a solvent; may be included, and the metal fiber-shaped raw material may be included in an amount of 30 wt% to 80 wt%; and 20 wt% to 70 wt%; of the metal particle-shaped raw material relative to the combined amount of the metal fiber-shaped raw material and the metal particle-shaped raw material, and each metal of the metal fiber-shaped raw material and the metal particle-shaped raw material may include a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the composition for producing the porous material transfer layer may further include a binder and a dispersant, and may include 21.3 wt% to 56.8 wt% of the metal fiber-shaped raw material; 14.2 wt% to 49.7 wt% of the metal particle-shaped raw material; 0.1 wt% to 4 wt% of the binder; and 0.1 wt% to 3 wt% of the dispersant.

In one embodiment, the dispersant may include one selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, xylene, cyclohexanone, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and combinations thereof.

In one embodiment, the binder may include one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylonitrile, and combinations thereof.

In order to achieve the above purpose, a method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to one aspect of the present invention is as follows:

(a) a step of degreasing the composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to the above at a predetermined temperature; and (b) a step of sintering the resultant product of the step (a).

In one embodiment, step (a) may further include a process of molding the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer.

In one embodiment, the degreasing treatment temperature in step (a) may be 300° C. to 700° C.

In one embodiment, the sintering in step (b) may be performed at a temperature of 900° C. to 1400° C. and a vacuum of 10 ^-5 Torr or less.

A porous material transfer layer according to one aspect of the present invention can have good porosity, gas permeability and strength, and can prevent damage to electrodes or other parts during the manufacturing process.

A water electrolysis system applying a porous material transfer layer according to one aspect of the present invention can exhibit excellent performance at low and high currents, and reactants (water) and products (oxygen) can be easily transported.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above. It should be understood that the effects of the present invention include all effects that can be inferred from the following description.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram briefly illustrating a porous material transfer layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram briefly illustrating a method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram briefly illustrating a composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following preferred embodiments related to the attached drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed contents can be thorough and complete and so that the spirit of the present invention can be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art.

In describing each drawing, similar reference numerals are used for similar components. In the attached drawings, the dimensions of the structures are drawn larger than actual for the clarity of the present invention. The terms first, second, etc. may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component may be referred to as the second component, and similarly, the second component may also be referred to as the first component. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

In this specification, it should be understood that terms such as "include" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or combinations thereof. In addition, when it is said that a part such as a layer, film, region or plate is "on" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly above" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between. Conversely, when it is said that a part such as a layer, film, region or plate is "under" another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly below" the other part, but also the case where there is another part in between.

Unless otherwise specified, all numbers, values, and/or expressions expressing quantities of ingredients, reaction conditions, polymer compositions, and formulations used herein are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term "about" because these numbers are approximations that inherently reflect, among other things, the various uncertainties of measurement that arise in obtaining such values. Furthermore, whenever a numerical range is disclosed herein, such range is continuous and includes every value from the minimum value to the maximum value inclusive, unless otherwise indicated. Furthermore, whenever such a range refers to an integer, every integer from the minimum value to the maximum value inclusive, unless otherwise indicated, is included.

When a sintered body formed by sintering general particles as a porous mass transfer layer of a water electrolysis system is applied, there is a possibility that the inflow of the liquid phase as a reactant and the discharge of the oxygen gas as a product may not occur properly, and it may be difficult to manufacture a porous mass transfer layer over a certain thickness due to high mass transfer resistance. In addition, there are problems such as low performance in the low current section, low bending rigidity, and difficulty in forming.

When fibers are applied as such a porous material transfer layer, it is difficult to secure an appropriate surface roughness, and thus the contact area with adjacent components such as the catalyst electrode layer and the separator is small, which may reduce the reaction area. In addition, there is a problem that excessive pressure may be applied when connecting the water electrolysis cell, which may damage the catalyst electrode layer structure, and it is difficult to secure the required strength.

The present inventors have developed a porous material transfer layer in which a metal fiber-like material and a metal particle-like material are mixed at an optimal weight ratio to minimize these problems, and the present invention is described in detail below.

Porous material transfer layer (10)

Referring to Figure 1, a porous material transfer layer (10) according to one embodiment of the present invention is

Contains 30 wt% to 80 wt% of the total metal fiber-like material (1); and 20 wt% to 70 wt% of the metal particle-like material (2);

Each metal of the above metal fiber-like material (1) and metal particle-like material (2) may include a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof. For example, it may include titanium.

The above porous material transfer layer (10) may have metal particle-like materials (1) introduced into the gaps, pores, and surfaces between metal fiber-like materials (1).

The above metal fiber-type material (1) may optionally include part or all of one selected from the group consisting of a mesh net, felt, and a combination thereof manufactured using metal fibers.

The content of the metal fiber-like material (1) may be 30 wt% to 80 wt%, 40 wt% to 75 wt%, or 50 wt% to 65 wt% relative to the total. In addition, the content of the metal particle-like material (2) may be 20 wt% to 70 wt%, 25 wt% to 60 wt%, or 35 wt% to 50 wt% relative to the total. With these ranges, surface roughness and mass transfer resistance characteristics suitable for a water electrolysis cell can be satisfied, and process efficiency can be improved.

The above metal fiber-like material (1) may have an average diameter (wire diameter) of 10 ㎛ to 50 ㎛, 12 ㎛ to 45 ㎛, or 15 ㎛ to 40 ㎛. If the average diameter of the metal fiber-like material (1) is less than the above range, the porosity may not be formed high, resulting in high material transfer resistance. If the average diameter exceeds the above range, the physical properties and quality deviations by location may become excessive, and the porosity may become excessive.

The length of the above metal fiber-like material (1) can be 30 to 1,000 times the diameter, and 50 to 500 times the diameter. With this range, it is possible to minimize the deviation in physical properties and quality while satisfying surface roughness and mass transfer resistance characteristics suitable for a water electrolysis cell.

The above metal fiber-like material (1) may be derived from a metal fiber-like raw material having the above average diameter and length, and may include a partially maintained form. The diameter and length of the metal fiber-like raw material may be substantially the same as the diameter and length of the metal fiber-like material (1).

The average diameter and length of the above metal fiber-like material (1) can be confirmed and measured through an image captured with a scanning electron microscope.

The above metal fiber-like material and metal particle-like material (2) may be derived from or sintered from the metal fiber-like raw material and the metal particle-like raw material to undergo agglomeration, necking, growth and densification, and may be controlled with specific additives, sintering time and conditions during sintering so that coarsening, densification and isolated pore formation in the later stages of general sintering do not occur. Based on the grain boundaries confirmed in the image captured by a scanning electron microscope, the average size of the metal particle-like material (2) may be equal to or larger than the average size of the metal particle-like raw material, and the average diameter and length of the metal fiber-like material (1) may be equal to or slightly larger than the average diameter and length of the metal fiber-like raw material, and may be substantially the same.

The average size of the metal particle-shaped raw material, the _D50 particle size, may be 5 ㎛ to 80 ㎛, 6 ㎛ to 60 ㎛, or 8 ㎛ to 40 ㎛. When the average size of the metal particle-shaped raw material is less than the above range, the porosity and pore size of the porous mass transfer layer may be too small and the porosity may become too brittle, and when it exceeds the above range, the porosity and surface roughness of the porous mass transfer layer may be excessive, making it difficult to exhibit suitable properties as a composite material, and the performance of the water electrolysis cell may deteriorate.

The above _D50 particle size may be a particle size corresponding to when the cumulative weight percentage reaches 50% in a cumulative distribution graph (particle size distribution) according to the weight fraction measured by a particle size analyzer.

The above metal particle-shaped raw material may have a shape such as a circle, an ellipse, a polygon, or an irregular shape. If the shape of the above metal particle-shaped raw material is circle, the size may correspond to the diameter, and if it is non-circular, the size may correspond to the maximum length.

The surface roughness Ra of the porous material transfer layer (10) may be 2.5 ㎛ to 9.5 ㎛, and may be 2.8 ㎛ to 7.5 ㎛. With this range, stable bonding with the catalyst electrode layer of the water electrolysis cell can be achieved, and deterioration of adjacent components can be minimized.

The porous mass transfer layer (10) may have a predetermined pore size and may include pore channels. The pore size may be 1 ㎛ to 70 ㎛, and may be 2 ㎛ to 50 ㎛. In addition, the porosity of the porous mass transfer layer (10) may be 30% to 60%, and may be 38% to 52%. By having this range, it is possible to secure appropriate strength and rigidity while lowering the mass transfer resistance, and to facilitate the movement of liquid water as a reactant and gaseous oxygen as a product.

The gas permeability of the above porous material transfer layer (10) may be 2.8·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s to 8.2·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s, and may be 3.8·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s to 6.2·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s. By having this range, the movement of liquid water as a reactant and gaseous oxygen as a product can be facilitated.

The gas permeability in units of 10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s can correspond to the permeation rate per membrane thickness, the permeation coefficient at 25 ℃ room temperature (10 ^-3 cm ³ ·cm/cm ² ·sec·gfcm ^-2 ), and can be converted to barrer units (10 ^-10 cm ³ ·cm/cm ² ·sec·cmHg) by multiplying by a specific number.

The thickness of the above porous material transfer layer (10) may be 100 ㎛ to 1000 ㎛, or 160 ㎛ to 700 ㎛.

The above porous material transport layer (10) can be placed adjacent to a water electrolysis cell, a catalyst electrode layer of a water electrolysis system, or an iridium-based electrode layer.

The above porous material transfer layer (10) can be manufactured by degreasing and sintering a composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer, which will be described later, and during sintering, diffusion, growth, and densification of the raw material are controlled so as not to be excessive, so that a composite porous structure of a metal fiber-metal particle-type material can be formed.

Composition for manufacturing porous material transfer layer

Referring to FIG. 3, a composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to one embodiment of the present invention is

Containing metal fiber-shaped raw materials; metal particle-shaped raw materials; and a solvent;

Compared to the combined amount of the metal fiber-type raw material and the metal particle-type raw material, it may include 30 wt% to 80 wt% of the metal fiber-type raw material; and 20 wt% to 70 wt% of the metal particle-type raw material;

Each metal of the above metal fiber-type raw material and metal particle-type raw material may include a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.

In the composition for manufacturing the above porous material transfer layer, the metal fiber-shaped raw material may correspond to the initial form before sintering of the metal fiber-shaped material (1) of the above porous material transfer layer.

In the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer, the metal particle-shaped raw material may correspond to the metal particle-shaped material (2) of the porous material transfer layer and may correspond to the initial form before sintering.

The diameter and length of the metal fiber-like raw material may be substantially the same as described above. The metal fiber-like raw material may optionally include part or all of one selected from the group consisting of a mesh net, a felt, and a combination thereof manufactured using metal fibers.

The average size and shape of the above metal particle-shaped raw material may be substantially the same as described above.

The content of the metal component obtained by combining the above metal fiber-shaped raw material and the metal particle-shaped raw material may be 60 wt% to 98 wt%, 65 wt% to 85 wt%, or 70 wt% to 80 wt% of the total composition. If the content of the metal component is less than the above range, sintering between the metal components may not occur smoothly, and the porosity of the porous mass transfer layer produced may become excessive or the rigidity may be low. If it exceeds the above range, the porosity of the porous mass transfer layer produced may be poor and the viscosity may be high, making it difficult to normally produce a molded article or a molded sheet using the composition.

The composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer may optionally further include an additive, and may include a substance that controls the dispersion, binding force, and bubbles of the components in the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer.

The composition for manufacturing the above porous material transfer layer may further include a binder and a dispersant as additives.

21.3 wt% to 56.8 wt% of the above metal fiber-shaped raw material;

14.2 wt% to 49.7 wt% of the above metal particle-shaped raw material;

0.1 to 4 wt% of the above binder;

0.1 wt% to 3 wt% of the above dispersant; and

The solvent may comprise 10 to 30 wt% of the above solvent.

The content of the binder may be 0.1 wt% to 4 wt%, 1 wt% to 4 wt%, or 2 wt% to 3.5 wt% relative to the total composition. If the content of the binder is less than the above range, the bonding strength between the metal components in the manufactured porous material transfer layer may be insufficient, which may cause a problem of difficulty in molding, and if it exceeds the above range, the bonding strength of the components in the composition may be excessive, which may cause a problem of excessive adhesion during manufacturing through any substrate or mold.

The above binder may include one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylonitrile, and combinations thereof, and may include, for example, a material that maintains bonding strength between metal components but is thermally decomposed at a temperature of 500° C. or lower.

The content of the dispersant may be 0.1 wt% to 3 wt%, 1 wt% to 3 wt%, or 1.5 wt% to 2.3 wt% relative to the total composition. If the content of the dispersant is less than the above range, agglomeration of metal components in the composition may occur, and if it exceeds the above range, the viscosity of the composition may be reduced, resulting in problems such as insufficient formability and workability.

The above dispersant may include one selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, xylene, cyclohexanone, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and combinations thereof.

The content of the solvent may be 10 wt% to 30 wt%, 15 wt% to 30 wt%, or 20 wt% to 30 wt% based on the total composition. If the content of the solvent is less than the above range, the viscosity of the composition is high, which reduces the formability of the composition, and thus the thickness of the porous material transfer layer manufactured may become uneven, and the porosity and pore size deviations by location may become excessive. If the content exceeds the above range, the material and equipment may be contaminated due to excessive evaporation of the solvent during sintering, or it may be difficult to form the desired thickness and pore shape.

The solvent may include an alcohol-based substance, a substituted or unsubstituted benzene-based substance, and may include ethanol, toluene, and the like.

The composition for manufacturing the above porous material transfer layer may further include a defoaming agent, and when the metal of the metal particle-shaped raw material and the metal fiber-shaped raw material is titanium, it may include _TiH2 .

Method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer

Referring to FIG. 2, a method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to one embodiment of the present invention is as follows.

(a) a step of degreasing the composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to the above at a predetermined temperature; and

(b) a step of sintering the result of step (a); may be included.

The step (a) above may further include a process of stirring the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer before the degreasing treatment. For example, the stirring may be performed by a ball-mill process, and may be performed for 1 hour or more, 10 hours to 30 hours, or 12 hours to 24 hours.

The step (a) above may further include a process of molding the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer. The molding process may be performed after the stirring process. The molding process may be, for example, a process of applying the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer onto any release paper or substrate, and a process of injecting and pressurizing it into a mold.

The above coating process may be one process selected from the group consisting of dipping coating, doctor blade coating, comma coating, screen printing coating, tape casting, slot die coating, gravure coating, lip coating, and bar coating.

The above-mentioned coating process may be, for example, doctor blade coating, and the coating speed at this time may be 0.3 m/min to 1 m/min.

A process of cutting the sheet formed after the above-mentioned applying process to a predetermined length may be included.

The degreasing treatment of step (a) above can be carried out at a temperature of 300° C. to 700° C. under an inert gas atmosphere, can be carried out at a temperature of 350° C. to 600° C., or can be carried out at a temperature of 400° C. to 500° C. If the temperature is below the above range during the degreasing treatment, a problem may occur in which the solvent does not completely evaporate and remains, and if it exceeds the above range, a problem may occur in which some of the metal components are oxidized because it is not a high vacuum atmosphere.

In the degreasing treatment in step (a) above, an inert gas such as argon can be used as an example.

The degreasing treatment in step (a) above can be performed by heating at a heating rate of 1°C/min to 3°C/min to the above temperature range and then maintaining the temperature for 1 to 5 hours.

The temperature during sintering in the above step (b) may be 900°C to 1400°C, 950°C to 1300°C, or 950°C to 1150°C. If the temperature during sintering is below the above range, the metal component in the composition or the molded article may not be sintered, causing problems such as excessively large pores or reduced rigidity. If the temperature exceeds the above range, the metal component in the composition or the molded article may be oxidized, or the porous material transfer layer may be contaminated by internal contaminants in the sintering furnace, resulting in waste of process costs and energy.

The vacuum level during sintering in the above step (b) may be 1×10 ^-5 Torr or less, 1×10 ^-8 Torr to 1×10 ^-5 Torr, and 1×10 ^-7 to 5×10 ^-6 Torr. The sintering time in the above step (b) may be 0.3 hours to 5 hours, and 0.5 hours to 4 hours. By having the above conditions, excessive growth and densification during sintering can be prevented, and the desired porosity and mechanical properties can be obtained.

A process of cooling the furnace while maintaining the same vacuum level after sintering in step (b) above may be included.

The porous material transfer layer (10) described above can be easily implemented through the above-described method for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the following examples and comparative examples. However, the technical idea of the present invention is not limited or restricted thereto.

Example 1 - Preparation of composite PTL 1

A composition for producing a porous mass transfer layer (PTL) was prepared, including: 35.5 wt% of titanium fibers having an average diameter (filament diameter) of 35 ㎛ and a length of 57 times the diameter; 35.5 wt% of amorphous titanium powder having an average particle size (D50) of 32 ㎛; 3.5 wt% of a polyvinyl butyral binder; 1.5 wt% of an isopropanol dispersant; and 24 wt% of an ethanol solvent.

(a) The composition for manufacturing the PTL was applied to any substrate by doctor blade coating so that the width, length, and thickness were 60 mm × 60 mm × 260 ㎛, thereby manufacturing a green sheet, and the temperature was increased at 1 ℃/min in an argon atmosphere, and after reaching 420 ℃, a degreasing treatment was performed for 2 hours.

(b) Then, the temperature was increased at 3 ℃/min under high vacuum conditions of 5×10 ^-6 Torr, and sintering was performed for 1 hour after reaching 1070 ℃. Afterwards, PTL was manufactured by cooling in an oven while maintaining the vacuum level.

Example 2 - Preparation of composite PTL 2

In the above Example 1, PTL was manufactured by changing the titanium fiber content to 46.15 wt% and the titanium powder content to 24.85 wt%.

Comparative Example 1 - PTL Manufacturing 1

In the above Example 1, PTL was manufactured by changing the titanium powder content to 71 wt% without including titanium fiber.

Comparative Example 2 - PTL Manufacturing 2

In the above Example 1, PTL was manufactured by changing the titanium fiber content to 71 wt% without including titanium powder.

Experimental example - Measurement of gas permeability, porosity, and surface roughness

The gas permeability, porosity, and surface roughness of the PTL of the above examples and comparative examples were measured by the following methods, and the results are shown in Table 1.

Gas permeability: Oxygen gas was supplied to the upper part of the PTL at a pressure of 1 kgf/ ^cm2 , and a pressure reducing pump was connected to the lower part of the PTL to maintain a reduced pressure state. Pressure sensors were installed at the upper and lower parts to observe pressure changes, and a thermal mass flow meter (MFM) was installed at the lower part to continuously measure the flow rate of the permeating gas, and then the gas permeability P was calculated.

P=Vl/AtdP, where V is the gas flow rate (cm ³ /s), l is the PTL thickness (cm), A is the PTL area (cm ² ), t is the penetration time (sec), and dP is the pressure difference.

Porosity: PTL was photographed using a scanning electron microscope, and the volume fraction of pores and porosity were measured using image analysis software (Image J).

Surface roughness: The average was calculated by measuring the central area of the PTL (10 μm × 10 μm) and nine peripheral areas using an atomic force microscope (AFM).

Ti powder
(wt%) Ti fiber
(wt%) Gas permeability
(10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gfㆍs) Porosity
(%) Surface Ra roughness
(㎛) Example 1 35.5 35.5 5.42 41 3.18 Example 2 24.85 46.15 5.73 46 4.21 Comparative Example 1 71 0 3.62 34 2.47 Comparative Example 2 0 71 6.42 56 8.34

Referring to Table 1, in the case of examples in which Ti powder and Ti fiber were mixed as raw materials at a predetermined ratio, it was confirmed that the intended gas permeability, porosity, and Ra roughness were achieved compared to the comparative examples consisting of a single powder and a single fiber.

Experimental Example - Analysis of Electrolysis Cell Performance

The PTLs of Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 were separately applied to the anode layer of a water electrolysis cell using an iridium (Ir) catalyst as the anode layer, a carbon-supported platinum (Pt/C) catalyst as the cathode layer, and Nafion 115 as the separator, and the performance of the water electrolysis cell with a cross-sectional area of 2500 ㎟ was analyzed.

When the porous mass transfer layer of the example was applied, it was confirmed that the movement of oxygen gas generated on the surface of the anode catalyst was smooth at low and high currents compared to the comparative example, the penetration of liquid water, which is a reactant, was easy, and the mass transfer resistance was low.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be implemented in other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features thereof. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are exemplary in all respects and are not restrictive.

1: Metal fiber-like material
2: Metallic particulate matter
10: Porous material transfer layer

Claims (16)

Containing 30 wt% to 80 wt% of the total metal fiber-like material; and 20 wt% to 70 wt% of the metal particle-like material;
A porous material transfer layer, wherein each metal of the metal fiber-like material and the metal particle-like material comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.
In the first paragraph,
The above metal fiber-like material is a porous material transfer layer having an average diameter of 10 ㎛ to 50 ㎛.
In the second paragraph,
A porous material transfer layer, wherein the length of the metal fiber-like material is 30 to 1,000 times the diameter.
In the first paragraph,
A porous material transfer layer, wherein the metal particle-shaped material is derived from a metal particle-shaped raw material having an average size of 5 ㎛ to 80 ㎛.
In the first paragraph,
A porous mass transfer layer having a surface roughness Ra of 2.5 ㎛ to 9.5 ㎛.
In the first paragraph,
A porous mass transfer layer having a porosity of 30% to 60%.
In the first paragraph,
A porous mass transfer layer having a gas permeability of 2.8·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s to 8.2·10 ^-3 cm ⁴ /gf·s.
In the first paragraph,
A porous material transfer layer having a thickness of 100 ㎛ to 1000 ㎛
Containing metal fiber-shaped raw materials; metal particle-shaped raw materials; and a solvent;
Compared to the combined amount of the metal fiber-type raw material and the metal particle-type raw material, it includes 30 wt% to 80 wt% of the metal fiber-type raw material; and 20 wt% to 70 wt% of the metal particle-type raw material;
A composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer, wherein each metal of the metal fiber-shaped raw material and the metal particle-shaped raw material includes a metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium, hafnium, nickel, stainless steel, and combinations thereof.
In Article 9,
The composition for manufacturing the above porous material transfer layer further comprises a binder and a dispersant,
21.3 wt% to 56.8 wt% of the above metal fiber-shaped raw material;
14.2 wt% to 49.7 wt% of the above metal particle-shaped raw material;
0.1 to 4 wt% of the above binder;
A composition for producing a porous material transfer layer, comprising 0.1 to 3 wt% of the dispersant.
In Article 10,
A composition for producing a porous mass transfer layer, wherein the dispersant comprises one selected from the group consisting of water, ethanol, methanol, isopropanol, xylene, cyclohexanone, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and combinations thereof.
In Article 10,
A composition for producing a porous material transfer layer, wherein the binder comprises one selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl butyral, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl acetate, polyacrylonitrile, and combinations thereof.
(a) a step of degreasing the composition for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer according to Article 9 at a predetermined temperature; and
(b) a step of sintering the resultant product of step (a); a method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer, comprising:
In Article 13,
A method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer, wherein the step (a) further includes a process of molding the composition for manufacturing the porous material transfer layer.
In Article 13,
A method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer, wherein the degreasing treatment temperature in step (a) is 300°C to 700°C.
In Article 13,
A method for manufacturing a porous material transfer layer, wherein the sintering in step (b) is performed at a temperature of 900° C. to 1400° C. and a vacuum of 10 ^-5 Torr or less.