CARBON CAPTURE
CARBON CAPTUREOur NiCo Electrode for CCU Hydrogen Supply
Carbon-capture and utilization processes that convert CO2 to methanol, synthetic methane, or other products often require electrolytic hydrogen. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode supplies this hydrogen at 91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 in an AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator.
Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)
TESTBEDSteady hydrogen supply for CCU loops
The bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides of a 5 cm2 AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator reaches 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% efficiency). CCU processes that consume hydrogen continuously benefit from the steady operating point.
1000-hour durability
Voltage degradation rate of 21 uV/hr over 1000 hours of continuous operation at 0.5 A/cm2 and 40 deg C with bifunctional NiCo on both sides and commercial Zirfon as separator.
Bifunctional, simpler BOM
Same electrode formulation on HER cathode and OER anode. 80 mV HER / 260 mV OER at 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction).
Renewable-coupled tolerance
9 days of solar-derived dynamic cycling and 100 hours of wind-derived cycling, both validated on the same bifunctional NiCo electrode.
Why CCU needs reliable hydrogen
Carbon-capture and utilization (CCU) takes captured CO2 and converts it into useful products (methanol, synthetic methane, polymers, Fischer-Tropsch fuels). Most of these conversion routes are reductive, which means they need hydrogen. The economics of CCU products depend heavily on the cost of that hydrogen.
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam, electroless-deposited, supplies the hydrogen side of the equation. At 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction), HER overpotential is 80 mV and OER overpotential is 260 mV. Cell-level performance with the bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um) reaches 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4%).
Continuous stability
Voltage drift
DeltaV LSV before/after
Steady-state suits continuous CCU processes
Many CCU reactors operate at steady state. The hydrogen feed must match that steady demand. Our 1000-hour chronopotentiometry on the bifunctional NiCo electrode and commercial Zirfon separator at 0.5 A/cm2 and 40 deg C in 30 wt% KOH showed voltage drift of 21 uV/hr. Before/after LSV differ by 30 mV at the operating point.
Dynamic loads for renewable-coupled CCU
CCU plants sited next to renewable generation see intermittent power input. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode in the AEM cell with commercial Zirfon was tested under PV-derived current schedules for 9 days (peaks ~570 mA/cm2) and wind-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm2). DeltaV after wind cycling was 20 mV at 0.5 A/cm2.
How CCU project teams evaluate the electrode
CCU developers and EPC contractors planning hydrogen integration into methanol synthesis, e-fuels, or polymer routes typically run an electrolyzer-stack qualification step before commercial scaleup. Our published numbers (5 cm2 AEM test cell, bifunctional NiCo electrode, commercial Zirfon separator) are the reference operating point that bench-scale qualification reproduces.
PV-derived current profile
9 DAYSWind-derived current profile
100 HRPairing with separator and balance-of-plant
CCU systems incorporate the electrolyzer alongside CO2 capture and product synthesis units. The published numbers used a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um) as the membrane reference. We also offer IONZERA, our own next-generation separator membrane, as a sibling product for stacks looking to upgrade the membrane side.
Frequently asked questions
Why use a bifunctional NiCo electrode for carbon capture and utilization?
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction). For carbon capture and utilization, using a single electrode SKU on both sides simplifies stack BOM and qualification.
What cell-level performance is published?
In a 5 cm² AEM cell with bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) at zero-gap, the cell logs 0.5 A/cm² at 1.81 V at room temperature (82% efficiency) and 1.62 V at 60 °C (91.4%). At 1.0 A/cm²: 2.05 V at RT and 1.79 V at 60 °C.
What is the stability baseline?
Continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C in 30 wt% KOH (bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, commercial Zirfon separator) showed voltage drift of 21 µV/hr. Before/after linear-sweep polarization curves differ by 30 mV at the operating point.
Is the electrode validated for renewable-coupled operation?
Yes. PV-irradiance-derived current schedules applied for 9 continuous days (peaks ~570 mA/cm²) and wind-variation-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm²) on the same cell. ΔV at 0.5 A/cm² before and after the 100-hour wind run: 20 mV.
What substrate sizes ship?
The bifunctional NiCo electrode is produced on Ni foam in the 100 to 1000 cm² size range. Bench-scale 5 cm² coupons matching the published test cell are also available so customers can reproduce numbers on their own rig before scaling up.
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