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Contract Opportunity

Opportunity:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), operated by the Lawrence Livermore National Security (LLNS), LLC under contract no. DE-AC52-07NA27344 (Contract 44) with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is offering the opportunity to enter into a collaboration to further develop and commercialize its method for fabricating electrically conductive front contact gaskets used in CO2 electrolyzers

Background:

For CO2 electrolysis gas diffusion applications, electrodes are typically made on top of either a carbon support that is coated in PTFE or an expanded PTFE support. For a carbon-based support the gas diffusion electrode has through plane conductivity so a current collector and a flow field act as the electrical path for electrons between the power source and the catalyst surface. Increasing the hydrophobicity of the gas diffusion layer by replacing the carbon support with expanded PTFE has been shown in prior art to increase the CO2 electrolysis performance. However, it requires the use of a front-contact. Typically, front contacts are either copper tape covered with Kapton or copper wires which have poor electrical conductivity and high contact resistance. To effectively convert CO2 to useful materials electrochemically, there must be better front contacts than what is currently available.

Description:

LLNL’s researchers use physical vapor deposition (sputter deposition or electron beam deposition) to coat an inert gasket material (i.e. PTFE) with a conductive metal (i.e. copper). The gas diffusion electrode overlaps onto the copper coated gasket to allow for electrical conductivity between the catalyst surface and the flow field/current collector of a CO2 electrolyzer. The coated gasket also provides proper sealing.

LLNL’s invention overcomes the current limitation by having all sides of the gas diffusion electrode in direct contact with pure copper that is in turn in contact with the flow field. The increased contact points, coupled with reasonable compression (80 PSI) allows the invention to reach cell voltages that are the same as if a carbon-based gas diffusion layer was used.

Advantages/Benefits:

• Avoids need for multiple points of contact.


• Doesn’t require high cell voltages.


• Eliminates high contact resistances.

Potential Applications:

• CO2 electrolyzers


• Fuel cells

Development Status:

Current stage of technology development: TRL 3

LLNL has filed for patent protection on this invention.

LLNL is seeking industry partners with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Moving critical technology beyond the Laboratory to the commercial world helps our licensees gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. All licensing activities are conducted under policies relating to the strict nondisclosure of company proprietary information.

Please visit the IPO website at https://ipo.llnl.gov/resources for more information on working with LLNL and the industrial partnering and technology transfer process.

Note: THIS IS NOT A PROCUREMENT. Companies interested in commercializing LLNL’s method for fabricating electrically conductive front contact gaskets used in CO2 electrolyzers should provide an electronic OR written statement of interest, which includes the following:

1. Company Name and address.


2. The name, address, and telephone number of a point of contact.


3. A description of corporate expertise and/or facilities relevant to commercializing this technology.

Please provide a complete electronic OR written statement to ensure consideration of your interest in LLNL’s method for fabricating electrically conductive front contact gaskets used in CO2 electrolyzers.

The subject heading in an email response should include the Notice ID and/or the title of LLNL’s Technology/Business Opportunity and directed to the Primary and Secondary Point of Contacts listed below.

Written responses should be directed to:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

Innovation and Partnerships Office

P.O. Box 808, L-779

Livermore, CA 94551-0808

Attention: IL-13868

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