GLASS MANUFACTURING
GLASS MANUFACTURINGOur NiCo Electrode for Glass Atmosphere H2
Float-glass production uses a hydrogen-nitrogen atmosphere over the molten tin bath. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode supplies the hydrogen side at 91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 in an AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator.
Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)
TESTBEDContinuous-supply match
Float-glass plants run continuously for months. 1000-hour run on bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon at 0.5 A/cm2 / 40 deg C: 21 uV/hr drift.
Industrial current density
AEM cell logs 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% efficiency) with bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon separator.
Bifunctional
Same coated electrode on cathode and anode. 80 mV / 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm2, no IR correction.
Sized for production-line integration
Ni foam from 100 to 1000 cm2.
Hydrogen in float-glass production
In the float-glass process, molten glass floats on a tin bath under a nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere. The hydrogen prevents oxidation of the tin bath. Float-glass plants typically procure their hydrogen from bulk gas suppliers; on-site electrolytic hydrogen is an alternative.
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm2), electroless-deposited, provides the electrochemical conversion. The same coated 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).
0.5 A/cm2 @ 60 deg C
Cell-level performance with commercial Zirfon
In a 5 cm2 AEM cell with bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um), 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4%). At 1.0 A/cm2: 1.79 V at 60 deg C.
Stability for months-long campaigns
Float-glass production campaigns run for months between major shutdowns. The 1000-hour run on bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon at 0.5 A/cm2 / 40 deg C showed 21 uV/hr drift, supporting integration with campaign-length operations.
Capacity scaling
Float-glass plants need modest hydrogen flow but very high reliability. Pilot-scale electrodes from 100 to 1000 cm2 cover the typical capacity range for a single plant's on-site supply.
PV-derived current profile
9 DAYSWind-derived current profile
100 HRExplore more
Frequently asked questions
Why use a bifunctional NiCo electrode for glass manufacturing?
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 glass manufacturing, 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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