China’s alkaline electrolysis water hydrogen production separator market development status and main product analysis in 2023

Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water is to dissociate water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen through an electrochemical process under the action of direct current, which are precipitated at the anode and cathode respectively. According to the principle, hydrogen production from water electrolysis can be divided into alkaline water electrolysis (ALK). , proton exchange membrane pure water electrolysis (PEM), and solid oxide water electrolysis (SOEC). Among them, alkaline water electrolysis (ALK) and proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis for hydrogen production have entered the commercial application stage. Solid oxide electrolysis Still in the laboratory development stage. Alkaline water electrolyzer is an important equipment for alkaline water electrolysis. It is mainly composed of end plate, sealing gasket, plate, electrode, separator, etc. Among them, the alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production separator serves to isolate the hydrogen and gas generated during the electrocatalytic process. oxygen.

The “2023-2028 China Alkaline Water Electrolysis Hydrogen Separator Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report compiled and released by the Industrial Research Center》shows that the alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production separator should be resistant to high alkali corrosion, good mechanical strength, high porosity, strong chemical stability, and should also allow electrolyte ions to pass through. Alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production technology is mature and has a commercialization history of nearly a hundred years. The separator materials have also gone through three generations, namely asbestos separators, PPS separators and composite separators. Among them, the asbestos separator is the earliest alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production separator and has good hydrophilicity. However, asbestos is a first-level carcinogen and its use is banned in many countries around the world, including China. The PPS separator is woven from polyphenylene sulfide fiber, which has the characteristics of good heat resistance and high mechanical strength. However, its poor water cleanliness will cause the separator cloth to not be fully wetted by the electrolyte, affecting the efficiency of the electrolyzer. PPS needs to be Fabric modification enhances its hydrophilicity. The composite separator is coated with zirconium oxide and other coatings on the basis of polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone and other fabrics. Inorganic oxide nanoparticles such as zirconium oxide can improve the hydrophilicity of the PPS fabric, improve the compatibility of the separator and the electrolyte, and improve Electrolyzer efficiency.

As one of the important components of alkaline water electrolyzers, alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production separators are greatly affected by the development of the downstream hydrogen energy industry. Hydrogen production by electrolysis of water has great application potential in electric power, industry, transportation and other fields. In terms of energy storage, hydrogen energy is suitable for long-term and large-scale energy storage. It can convert residual electricity from intermittent renewable energy sources such as solar energy and wind energy or The waste electricity that cannot be connected to the grid is stored by electrolyzing water to produce hydrogen, which has the advantages of no self-attenuation, high energy density, and low marginal cost, but the efficiency is low. As China continues to advance its “dual carbon” strategy, the proportion of renewable energy power generation increases, and the demand for energy storage will further increase. The demand for hydrogen in the field of hydrogen energy storage is expected to explode in the next few years. On the industrial side, hydrogen is used as a reducing agent raw material in the smelting process, and hydrogen steelmaking is expected to develop rapidly in the next few years. In terms of transportation, with the development of the fuel cell industry, the price of fuel cell vehicles is expected to decline, and the penetration rate of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles will increase, which will also drive the demand for hydrogen. The rapid development of the hydrogen energy industry has promoted the rapid growth of the hydrogen production industry, and has also played a leading role in the alkaline electrolysis of water hydrogen production separators.

Currently, the world’s major alkaline water electrolysis hydrogen production separator manufacturers include Toray Fiber, Tianjin Kerry, Tianjin Jinlun, AFGA, Carbon Energy Technology, Ningbo Zhongke Hydrogen Easy Membrane Technology, Shenzhen Tongwei and other companies.