{"id":10591,"date":"2024-10-08T07:44:40","date_gmt":"2024-10-08T07:44:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prod.zbt.compositas.io\/?page_id=10591"},"modified":"2025-08-21T06:56:27","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T06:56:27","slug":"electrolysis","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/zbt.de\/en\/research\/electrolysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Electrolysis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Electrolysis<\/h1>\n

With the increasing use of renewable energies in industry, mobility and households, energy storage is becoming an important issue.<\/h4>\n

Since electricity from solar or wind energy cannot be used directly in many cases, hydrogen<\/b> is an important energy carrier for the future design of our energy system. ZBT conducts research in the field of water electrolysis<\/b>, from component development and the characterisation of materials and components to their testing. <\/p>\n

We focus primarily on two electrolysis technologies: AEM electrolysis<\/strong> and PEM electrolysis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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AEM Water Electrolysis<\/h2>\n

Anion exchange membrane electrolysis<\/strong> (AEM electrolysis) combines the advantages of alkaline electrolysis with those of membrane technology. It enables the use of precious metal-free catalysts<\/strong> while utilising the proven manufacturing and design principles of PEM technology for cost-efficient hydrogen production. <\/p>\n

<\/br>Our focus is on the production and characterisation of new precious metal-free catalysts and the development of innovative MEA manufacturing processes. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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PEM Electrolysis<\/h2>\n

PEM stands for either proton exchange membrane<\/strong> or polymer electrolyte membrane<\/strong>. PEM electrolysis offers high efficiency and compact system designs with industrial outputs of up to several hundred megawatts. The use of precious materials leads to higher investment costs, but ongoing research in areas such as material development and degradation analysis<\/strong> aims to further improve the technology and extend its service life. <\/p>\n

<\/br>We focus on developing and evaluating cell components, catalysts and membranes for PEM water electrolysis.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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Testing and inspection procedures for electrolysis components and systems<\/h2>\n

For the production of hydrogen via the electrolysis of water, ZBT develops and operates laboratory test cells<\/strong> that are used to characterise cell components such as membranes, catalysts and current distributors. Materials for PEM and AEM electrolysis<\/strong> are investigated. <\/p>\n

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In addition, ZBT offers testing capabilities<\/strong> for electrolysis stacks and systems with a maximum electrical power of 40 kW and pressures up to 35 bar. These enable comprehensive testing and degradation analyses, including gas analyses and real-time monitoring. Test stations for single cells and stacks as well as various software tools for analysis are available. <\/p>\n

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