High-Performance Porous Transport Layers for Cost-Efficient Green Hydrogen

GKN Powder Metallurgy has developed a new generation of Porous Transport Layers (PTL) for Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis. The solution is designed to revolutionize hydrogen production by increasing efficiency while reducing overall environmental impact.

The high-performance, high-porous, and high-purity PTL (HP-PTL) provides an advanced solution that addresses both the technological and environmental challenges faced by the hydrogen industry. This solution is the result of 10 years of dedicated research, combined with decades of powder metallurgy innovation.

By significantly reducing the required amount of catalyst materials, such as iridium, the HP-PTL lowers stack costs, increasing the affordability of advanced PEM electrolyzers compared to established solutions.

Utilizing powder metal technology, the HP-PTL has a highly porous structure comprised of a fine powder layer which increases surface area connectivity. This design also reduces electrical resistance, requiring a lower voltage to produce equal amounts of hydrogen, reducing energy consumption and improving the overall efficiency of electrolysis stacks.

The microstructure shows a high titanium surface in addition to a high porosity. This results in a further reduction of electrical and mass transport resistance leading directly to a system efficiency increase of up to 30% when compared to current metal sheet solutions on the market.