Redox-Stable Electrodes for Ethane Dehydrogenation Based on Proton Ceramic Electrochemical Reactors.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Ethylene production is energy-intensive and produces CO2.
• Proton ceramic electrochemical reactors (PCERs) offer process intensification for ethane dehydrogenation (EDH).
• Coke formation and H2 extraction decrease PCER performance in nonoxidative EDH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop stable redox electrodes for PCERs capable of withstanding nonoxidative EDH and coke oxidation.
• To investigate composite electrodes based on La0.8Sr0.2Cr0.5Mn0.5O3-δ (LSCM) and BaCe0.55Zr0.3Y0.15O3-δ (BCZY5515).
• To enhance electrochemical performance through nanoparticle infiltration.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication and characterization of composite electrodes using perovskite and proton conductor materials.
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under oxidizing and reducing conditions.
• Evaluation of nonoxidative EDH reaction in a PCER with optimized electrodes.

Main Results:

• Surface processes were identified as the limiting factor for electrode performance.
• Infiltration of Pt and CeO2 nanoparticles improved electrochemical performance by a factor of 10 at 700 °C.
• The La0.8Sr0.2Cr0.5Mn0.25Fe0.25O3-δ/BaCe0.55Zr0.3Y0.15O3-δ (LSCMF/BCZY5515) electrode infiltrated with Pt/CeO2 showed optimal performance.

Conclusions:

• The developed LSCMF/BCZY5515 electrode infiltrated with Pt/CeO2 demonstrates promising redox stability for PCER applications.
• This optimized electrode is suitable for nonoxidative EDH, enabling efficient ethylene production with improved hydrogen separation.
• PCER technology with stable electrodes can significantly advance sustainable chemical manufacturing.