Fuel cells
Ready to power the future
Fuel cells have been around for a while, are still going strong and look to be the future of mobile power for transportation. With carbon footprint reduction becoming an environmental responsibility for all major businesses, the world is witnessing an exceptional surge in the adoption of renewable energy, with hydrogen / methane based fuel cells hailed as the up-and-coming clean energy carriers and complements to lithium-ion battery solutions.
Imerys is supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy with a wide range of superior-quality materials designed for fuel cell technologies.
Carbon blacks and graphites for PEMFCs
We offer a wide portfolio of high-purity graphite powders, carbon based dispersions and conductive carbon blacks, well suited to a variety of fuel cell technologies, where they are used in gas diffusion layers, catalyst supports and as coatings for fuel cell systems using metal bipolar plates.
Our TimrexⓇ graphite powders and EnsacoⓇ conductive carbon blacks are particularly adapted for use in polymer-based bipolar plates of proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC), also known as polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells.
EnsacoⓇ and C-NERGYⓇ highly conductive carbon blacks provide excellent catalyst support. Their high surface area, mesoporosity and high purity provide an optimal substrate for Pt deposition, good catalyst activity and low corrosion.
TimrexⓇ graphite powders and C-Sperse™ aqueous carbon dispersions control hydrophilicity and porosity allowing to fine tune gas and water transport in the gas diffusion and microporous layers of fuel cells.
Key benefits:
- Exceptional purity and consistency
- High electrical and thermal conductivity
- Optimized porosity
- Low corrosion
Yttria stabilized zirconia for SOFC and SOEC energy convertors
Our Advanced Ceramics teams have been designing and producing yttria zirconia for oxygen sensors for decades. Today, our teams are harnessing that in-depth expertise to offer partially or fully stabilized fused and crushed yttria zirconia (YSZ) for energy convertors such as solid oxide and solid electrolysis fuel cells.
Used in SOFCs and SOECs, ZIONIC™ yttria stabilized zirconia ceramics are excellent materials for providing ionic conductivity - one of the most important features for the electrolyte - due to their ability to transport oxygen ions from the cathode to the anode.
Our processing capabilities allow us to obtain reproducible solutions on an industrial scale, with tailor-designed chemistries with varying Y2O3 content and particle size to meet your needs.
Key benefits:
- Low surface area (BET), particularly suitable for wet processes such as tape casting (reduced viscosity and less additive)
- Free from agglomerate powders for easy dispersion
- High conductivity zirconias for the electrolyte: from the standard 13 wt.% Y zirconia (8 mol.%) to more specific compositions
- Suitable for anode with or without alumina doping (e.g. 5 wt.% Y Zirconia)
- High powder homogeneity
- Various sizing and surface areas to meet specific process requirements
Don’t hesitate to contact us to test our anode and electrolyte solutions.
Carbon black
Carbon black is an extremely versatile substance which is making an increasingly valuable contribution to the automotive industry. Imerys is the leading supplier of highly conductive carbon-based solutions for conductive carbon black used in lithium-ion batteries powering electric vehicles and consumer electronics. It is also a valuable ingredient in polymer compounds used in electronic devices and the automotive industry.
Graphite
Graphite has a wide variety of properties and uses. Prized for its electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, softness, chemical inertness, heat resistance and lubricity, its applications range from high performance lithium-ion batteries, alkaline batteries, conductive polymers, refractories or brake pads.
