Platinum coated titanium fiber felt

Platinum coated titanium fiber felt is mainly used in electrolyzer cells and stacks as flow field or diffuser material,especially on the oxygen (anode) side.Since carbon is immediately oxidized to carbon dioxide (if the medium is acidic) or carbonate ions (if the medium is alkaline) during the electrolysis reaction,the electrolyzer hardware cannot use a carbon-based gas diffusion layer on the oxygen evolution electrode (GDL).Platinum coated titanium fiber felt makes an ideal candidate as a diffusion medium,while also providing electrical contact between the anode catalyst layer and the bipolar plate or current collecting component on the anode side.

Platinum coated titanium fiber felt is made from titanium fibers that have been compressed into a flat form and annealed to ensure a smooth,flat surface suitable for use in electrolysers,and undergo a proprietary platinum plating process that greatly extends the life of the titanium fibers.

Untreated titanium felt is not as depleted as a carbon-based gas diffusion layer (GDL) (in an electrolysis unit),but if the electrolyzer is operated at a pressure slightly above ambient (1 bar to 3 bar),the oxygen presence does make a difference.The untreated titanium surface will quickly form an electrically insulating oxide layer (TiO2) under high O2 pressure, ultimately affecting the efficiency of the entire system.This oxide coating will behave as an electrical insulator and therefore increase the interfacial resistance in the cell, thereby reducing the electrochemical performance.Oxidation of titanium can be prevented by gold or platinum plating.Surface plating of titanium produces a coating that is electrically conductive and chemically stable under normal electrolytic operating conditions and extends the service life of most titanium,making it ideal for applications requiring high performance and long life.Preventing the formation of TiO2 will greatly stabilize the electrochemical performance of the electrolyzer or intended electrochemical device.

The primary function of a platinum coating is to maintain the conductivity of the substrate itself for demanding applications such as longer service life or pressurized electrolyzer (up to 100 psi) applications.In industry, it has been observed that platinized titanium felt products can be used on the anode side of PEM electrolyzer hardware at such pressure values.The estimated platinum metal loading of this product is approximately 60-80 micrograms per square centimeter of the physical dimensions of the substrate.