Session: Research Posters

Paper Number: 120338

120338 - Anti-Corrosion Application of Graphene on Copper Electrodes in an Electrolyzer 

The energy problem has been a continuing issue around the world, and with a finite amount of fossil fuels in our environment and the large associated cost of extracting these resources has caused a shift to renewable energy sources. The general idea of renewable energy is theoretically the solution to the energy crisis presented in the near future. However a major obstacle in the renewable energy industry is energy storage. Hydrogen has been considered a viable solution being easily stored in compressed gas or liquid states, increasing the energy to volume storage ratio. In combination with using hydrogen fuel cells the hydrogen can be used as a clean burning fuel for combustion engines that produce water as a by-product. A potential problem with hydrogen production, the process known as electrolysis, is the corrosion of electrodes, which over time will reduce the efficiency of the electrolyzer. The solution to this problem could be the use of graphene as a coating that does not impede the conduction of electricity. Thus the objective of this project is to quantitatively evaluate the effectiveness of graphene as a corrosion prevention coating to prolong effective conductivity of electrodes in an electrolyzer. Using graphene’s ability of being conductive, but also uniformly applied to the surface of copper electrodes should prolong the life of the electrode and have a slower change in resistance, which will help maintain the hydrogen production efficiency. Comparing bare copper to monolayer and multilayer graphene coated electrodes, the experiment was conducted using alkaline electrolyte solutions composed of sodium bicarbonate and distilled deionized water. The copper electrodes coated with graphene did have a lower change in resistance when compared to the bare copper electrodes. The multilayer copper electrodes also had a lower change in resistance than the monolayer copper electrode, suggesting that graphene can be a viable corrosion prevention coating, and multilayer graphene could perform better at preventing the penetration of corrosion to the surface of the copper by having multiple layers to cover defects in the graphene monolayers. Future studies will be conducted for other metals coated in graphene such as nickel. The idea of using other metals can open up the opportunity to investigate other  applications of graphene coated surfaces  such as being a protective coating for impact or stressed surfaces. Also another extension of the study could be investigating the  impacts of other electrolyte solutions on graphene coated copper such as acidic solutions. This may enable the use of graphene coated surfaces in a variety of hazardous environments.

Presenting Author: Enrique Velasquez Morquecho The University of Texas at Austin

Presenting Author Biography: Currently, I am a Doctorial student conducting research into large-scale manufacturing and application of graphene in the Nano and Biomaterials Manufacturing and Processing Lab in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.

Authors:

Enrique Velasquez Morquecho The University of Texas at Austin
Paul Kim The University of Texas at Austin
Wei Li The University of Texas