Activation of stainless steel 316L anode for anion exchange membrane water electrolysis

The increased emphasis on renewable energy has resulted in a surge of R&D efforts into hydrogen and battery research. The intensive electrochemical environment surrounding the anodic oxygen evolution reaction (OER) has plagued both the activity and stability of the catalytic layer, substrate and porous transport layer, ultimately affecting both these industries. Herein, we report the benefits of potential cycling (PC) a 316L stainless steel felt porous transport layer (PTL) for use in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis. The PC increased surface roughness and created a CrFe5Ni2-OxHy layer through the oxidation of iron as shown by SEM, EDS, XPS, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. Post-PC tests in a three-electrode setup reveal a approximate to 68% decline in polarisation resistance, which is reflected in its performance when employed as an anode in an anion exchange membrane water electrolyser (AEMWE). Overall, potential cycling the PTL under anodic conditions resulted in an improved performance when tested in a AEMWE. Implementing this treatment on stainless steel anodes could be considered to achieve an improved AEMWE performance.