Alternative low cost electrodes for hybrid flow batteries

Abstract

An electrode for use in an all-iron redox flow battery is provided. In one example, the electrode may include a plastic mesh; and a coating on the plastic mesh. The coating may be a hydrophilic coating or a conductive coating and the electrode may have an electrode reaction potential is less than 0.8V. Further, a method of manufacturing a coated plastic mesh electrode for use in an all-iron redox flow battery is provided. In one example method, the steps include fabricating a plastic mesh, treating the plastic mesh by applying a solvent treatment or a plasma treatment or a mechanical abrasion treatment; coating the plastic mesh with a material selected from: carbon inks, metal oxides, and hydrophilic polymers.

1 - 16 . (canceled) 
     
     
         17 . A method of manufacturing a coated plastic mesh electrode for use in an all-iron redox flow battery, the method comprising:
 fabricating a plastic mesh;   treating the plastic mesh by applying a solvent treatment or a plasma treatment or a mechanical abrasion treatment; and   applying a coating to the plastic mesh, the coating comprising a material, the material comprising:
 a carbon ink or a hydrophilic polymer. 
   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plastic mesh is fabricated from polypropylene. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plastic mesh is fabricated from polyolefin. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the coating is applied to the plastic mesh using a technique selected from:
 dip coating, roller coating, and air brushing.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the material comprises the carbon ink. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the material comprises the hydrophilic polymer, the hydrophilic polymer comprising perfluorosulfonic acid or sulfonated polyether ether ketone. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the material comprises a metal oxide. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the plastic mesh is a unipolar mesh, a bipolar mesh, a woven mesh, or a stretched mesh. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the coated plastic mesh electrode has an open area of 15% to 65% and an open volume of 10% to 70%. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein an electrode reaction potential of the all-iron redox flow battery including the coated plastic mesh electrode is less than 0.8 V. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the coated plastic mesh electrode is configured to plate iron metal from an iron salt electrolyte in the all-iron redox flow battery, and
 wherein the material is selected for interfacing with the iron salt electrolyte as used in the all-iron redox flow battery.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein treating the plastic mesh improves an adhesion of the material coated to the plastic mesh relative to not treating the plastic mesh. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein treating the plastic mesh comprises modifying surface properties of the plastic mesh. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein coating the plastic mesh in the material reduces an amount of hydrogen bubbles trapped in the plastic mesh during operation of the all-iron redox flow battery including the coated plastic mesh electrode relative to an amount of hydrogen bubbles trapped in a non-coated plastic mesh during operation of an all-iron redox flow battery including a non-coated plastic mesh electrode. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising heat treating the coating to cure the coating and eliminate any solvents therefrom. 
     
     
         32 . A method of manufacturing a coated plastic mesh electrode for use in an all-iron redox flow battery, the method comprising:
 fabricating a plastic mesh;   treating the plastic mesh by applying a solvent treatment or a high energy density treatment or a mechanical abrasion treatment; and   applying a coating to the plastic mesh, the coating comprising a material selected from carbon inks and hydrophilic polymers.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plastic mesh is treated by applying the solvent treatment. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plastic mesh is treated by applying the mechanical abrasion treatment. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plastic mesh is treated by applying the high energy density treatment, the high energy density treatment being a plasma treatment or a UV radiation treatment. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35 , wherein the plastic mesh is treated by applying the plasma treatment, the plasma treatment being an electron-beam plasma treatment or a cold-gas plasma treatment.