Independent production line's first proton exchange membrane not expensive as gold
Looking for materials
◎Our reporter Wu Chunxin
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are seen as the next outlet new energy vehicles.
As the core component of hydrogen fuel cell, proton exchange membrane is similar to the central processing unit (CPU) on mobile phones and computers, and its quality directly affects the service life of the battery.
Previously, domestic proton exchange membrane 99% need to be imported from abroad.
In an interview with a reporter from Science and Technology Daily on December 13, a technical expert from Wuhan Green Power Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. stated that the import price of 1 square meter (weighing more than 20 grams) of proton exchange membrane is comparable to the same weight of gold, which severely restricts our country. The development of hydrogen fuel cells.
Today, this situation is being broken. On December 5, the first fully autonomous and controllable hydrogen fuel cell proton exchange membrane production line was put into operation in Wuhan, with an estimated annual production capacity of 300,000 square meters.
According to industry experts, the "power generation" of hydrogen fuel cells uses hydrogen and oxygen to carry out a non-combustion redox reaction to generate electrons and hydrogen ions. After the electrons and hydrogen ions are separated by a catalyst, the electrons are transported through an external circuit and proton exchange The membrane provides a channel for the migration and transportation of hydrogen ions, so that the hydrogen ions pass through the membrane from the anode to the cathode, and form a loop with the electron transfer of the external circuit to provide current to the outside world. Therefore, the performance of the proton exchange membrane directly affects the use of the battery. life.
At present, most of the proton exchange membranes used in hydrogen fuel cells are synthesized with perfluorinated polymer materials.
This material has the advantages of good stability and long service life, but its development and production are very difficult, the manufacturing cost is high, the price is expensive, the degree of domestic production is low, and the large-scale production with stable performance is even more difficult.
In July last year, SPIC Hydrogen Energy Corporation registered and established Wuhan Green Power Hydrogen Energy Technology Co., Ltd. in Wuhan, and started the construction of the "State Power Investment China Hydrogen Energy Industry Base and R&D Center".
The project invests 7 billion yuan to focus on the development and production of fuel cell core components, including proton exchange membranes, membrane electrodes, carbon paper, stacks and fuel cell systems, as well as the development and production of key equipment for hydrogen production by electrolysis of water.
After 17 months of research, the company finally realized the commissioning of the hydrogen fuel cell proton exchange membrane production line.
The production of 300,000 m2 proton exchange membrane production line can produce a thickness of the proton exchange membrane from 8 microns to 20 microns, which are comparable or better than similar foreign competing products in proton conductivity, gas permeability, mechanical strength, etc. , But the price is only half of that of similar foreign products.
In this regard, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University ZHANG Qingjie said the cost of proton exchange membrane has an important impact on the future development of hydrogen fuel cells, the production line, means that my country's high-end products in the field of proton exchange membrane has an independent production ability, will promote my country's fuel cell core materials industry forward stride.
Hydrogen, general manager of the State Power Investment Bank Zhang Guang said that at present the production line has been achieved in proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack high power applications, to meet the multiple scenes of fuel cell vehicles, humidifiers and other application requirements, put into operation to meet at the same time Demand for 20,000 hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.