Investigating the Influence of Treatments on Carbon Felts for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Schilling M, Eifert L, Köble K, Jaugstetter M, Bevilacqua N, Fahy KF, Tschulik K, Bazylak A, Zeis R (2023)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2023

Journal

Chemsuschem Wiley-VCH Verlag

DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202301063

Abstract

Vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) electrodes face challenges related to their long-term operation. We investigated different electrode treatments mimicking the aging processes during operation, including thermal activation, aging, soaking, and storing. Several characterization techniques were used to deepen the understanding of the treatment of carbon felts. Synchrotron X-ray imaging, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) with the distribution of relaxation times analysis, and dynamic vapor sorption (DVS) revealed differences between the wettability of felts. The bulk saturation after electrolyte injection into the carbon felts significantly differed from 8 % to 96 %. DVS revealed differences in the sorption/desorption behavior of carbon felt ranging from a slight change of 0.8 wt % to over 100 wt %. Additionally, the interactions between the water vapor and the sample change from type V to type H2. After treatment, morphology changes were observed by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Cyclic voltammetry and EIS were used to probe the electrochemical performance, revealing different catalytic activities and transport-related impedances for the treated samples. These investigations are crucial for understanding the effects of treatments on the performance and optimizing materials for long-term operation.

Authors with CRIS profile

Roswitha Zeis Professur für Elektrische Wasserstoffsysteme

Involved external institutions

Helmholtz Institut Ulm DE Germany (DE) Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) DE Germany (DE) University of Toronto CA Canada (CA)

How to cite

APA:

Schilling, M., Eifert, L., Köble, K., Jaugstetter, M., Bevilacqua, N., Fahy, K.F.,... Zeis, R. (2023). Investigating the Influence of Treatments on Carbon Felts for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries. Chemsuschem. https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202301063

MLA:

Schilling, Monja, et al. "Investigating the Influence of Treatments on Carbon Felts for Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries." Chemsuschem (2023).

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