US2009294282A1PendingUtilityA1

Water electrolysis device

42
Assignee: COMMISSARIAT ENERGIE ATOMIQUEPriority: Jul 25, 2006Filed: Jun 11, 2007Published: Dec 3, 2009
Est. expiryJul 25, 2026(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Régine BasseguyAlain BergelSerge Da SilvaLeonardo De Silva MunozDamien FeronMarc-André Roy
Y02E60/36C25B 11/042C25B 1/04C25B 9/73C25B 11/04
42
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Claims

Abstract

Electrolysis device intended to produce hydrogen by the reduction of water, comprising a cathode compartment, an anode compartment, and an element connecting said compartments and allowing ions to migrate between them, the device being characterized in that the cathode compartment contains at least one weak acid capable of catalyzing the reduction and an electrolytic solution, the pH of which is in the range between 3 and 9.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 14 . (canceled) 
   
   
       15 . An electrolysis device intended to produce hydrogen by the reduction of water, comprising a cathode compartment, an anode compartment and an element connecting said compartments and allowing ions to migrate between them,
 said device being characterized in that said cathode compartment contains at least one weak acid and an electrolytic solution, the pH of which is in the range between 3 and 9, and in that it comprises an electrode in contact with said electrolytic solution in the cathode compartment, said electrode being partly or entirely made of at least one material selected from the group consisting of conductive polymers, oxidized or non-oxidized forms of Fe, Cr, Ni or Co.   
   
   
       16 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that said electrode is a stainless steel cathode. 
   
   
       17 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 16 , characterized in that said stainless steel is 316 L stainless steel. 
   
   
       18 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode compartment is in the range between 4 and 9. 
   
   
       19 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 18 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode compartment is in the range between 6 and 9. 
   
   
       20 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 19 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode compartment is equal to 8. 
   
   
       21 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said anode compartment is substantially the same as that of the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode compartment. 
   
   
       22 . An electrolysis device according to  claims 15 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said anode compartment is basic. 
   
   
       23 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 22 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said anode compartment is approximately 15. 
   
   
       24 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 22 , characterized in that the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode compartment is approximately 4. 
   
   
       25 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that said weak acid has a pKa in the range between 3 and 9. 
   
   
       26 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 25 , characterized in that said pKa is in the range between 3 and 5. 
   
   
       27 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that said weak acid is selected so that its pKa is greater by at least one unit than the pH of the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode compartment. 
   
   
       28 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that said weak acid is selected from the group consisting of orthophosphoric acid, dihydrogen phosphate, monohydrogen phosphate, lactic acid, gluconic acid, acetic acid, monochloroacetic acid, ascorbic acid, hydrogen sulfate, glycolic acid, and amino acids. 
   
   
       29 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 28 , characterized in that said amino acid is leucine or lysine. 
   
   
       30 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that at least one additional weak acid is added to the electrolytic solution contained in said cathode and/or anode compartment to prevent or restrict the pH variation of said solution or solutions during the reduction of water. 
   
   
       31 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 30 , characterized in that said additional weak acid has the same chemical structure as the weak acid initially contained in said cathode compartment. 
   
   
       32 . An electrolysis device according to  claim 15 , characterized in that said cathode compartment is sealed.

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