Complex services

• Production of cation and anion conductive membranes based on polybenzimid azole (PBI) for fuel cells and electrolyzers

Proton (H +) conducting membranes:

• Low / medium temperature membranes - Operating temperature up to 120 °C:

√ PBI membranes containing immobilized phosphonium and / or sulfonic groups;

√ Proton conductivity at 100% relative humidity - up to 80 mS.cm-1.

• High temperature membranes - operating temperature up to 180 °C:

√ PBI membranes doped with phosphoric acid (PK) with improved mechanical properties and proton conductivity

• Cross-lined m-PBI, p-PBI and AB-PBI;
• Composit membranes containing inorganic fillers (montmorillonite, graphite oxide or activated  coal);

√ Proton coductivity at a relative humidity of 5-20% - from 120 to 450 mS.cm^-1.

 
Anion (OH) conducting membranes - PBI, doped with KOH:

• Membranes of crosslinked m-PBI, p-PBI and AB-PBI;
• Composite membranes of m-PBI, p-PBI and AB-PBI containing inorganic montmorillonite filler.

√ Operating temperature up to 110 °C, relative humidity 50-100%, ion conductivity from 100 to 1200 mS.cm^-1.

Person in Charge: Assoc. Prof. Veselin Sinigersky; vsinigersky@gmail.com

• Complex services for the synthesis

• Synthesis of inorganic materials with determined composition and structure by different methods and using different techniques of high temperature and chemical ("wet") synthesis. Determination of basic physical and chemical parameters of the material ;
• Thin films of inorganic and hybrid materials deposited on media of different material and type (flat and flexible) and characterization of the obt       ained layers films of inorganic and hybrid materials deposited on media of different material and type (flat and flexible) and characterization of the obtained layers

Person in Charge:  Prof. Tamara Petkova;  tpetkova@iees.bas.bg

• Complex services for the synthesis and characterization of thin-film materials

Person in Charge: Assoc. Prof. Maxim Ganchev; mganchev@gmail.com

• Electrochemical methods for characterization of the operational properties of catalytic materials for the production of hydrogen   - galvanostatic, potentiostatic, linear and cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in galvanostatic and potentiostatic mode

• Pulsed methods for obtaining hydrogen in model cells and small stacks – testing of type of pulse, saturation, pulse frequency, effective voltage and pulse current);
• Characterization of the exploitation properties of photocatalysts for hydrogen production by photoelectrochemical methods - phototochemical time dependence in potentiostatic and photopotential - time in galvanostatic mode, linear and cyclic photovoltaimetry and photo / photon spectroscopy;
• Electrochemical synthesis of catalysts and photocatalysts for the production of hydrogen on the basis of ordered systems of nanoporous and nanotubes of oxides of valve metals (Ti, Al, W, Nb, Zr, Mo and their alloys);

Person in Charge: Prof. Martin Bojinov, martin@uctm.edu

• Characterization and testing of materials, components, electrolysers and fuel cells (including microbiological electrolysers and fuel cells)

• Complex electrochemical tests of electrode materials by various techniques (linear voltamperometry, cyclic voltamperometry, differential pulse voltamperometry, chronamperometry, chronornometryetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, etc.);
• Comprehensive tests of fuel cells and electrolyzers, incl. bioelectrochemical studies of microbial fuel cells and microbial electrolysis cells;
• Characterization of the exploitation properties of catalytic materials for the production of hydrogen by electrochemical methods - galvanostatic, potentiostatic, linear and cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in galvanostatic and potentiostatic mode.

   

Person(s) in Charge: Prof. Martin Bojinov, martin@uctm.edu

                                         Assoc. Prof. Yolina Hubenova; y.hubenova@iees.bas.bg

 

• In-situ testing of fuel cells and electrolyzers in an specially disigned for impedance measurements furnace with a DC power supply in the temperature range from room temperature up to 900 °C and softwaring controlled experimental conditions  (temperature, power and energy, gases - hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, air and gas mixtures).

• “Button cel” samples:

• Symmetrical half cells with a diameter of 10-35 mm. Measurements can be carried out in a different gas atmoshere: air, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen;
• Full cell with a diameter of 19-24 mm in two- chamber configuration in different gas atmosheres: Fuel electrode- hydrogen (wet or dry), hydrogen / nitrogen mixture; Air electrode: air, oxygen, mixtures of oxygen / nitrogen.

• The tests may be combined with:

• Impedance measurements on a fixed operating point in the temperature range from room temperature to 900 °C (optional) and different gas atmospheres;
• Volt-ampere and power characteristics;
• Conductivity study – electronic, ionic, oxygen and mixed;
• Determination of polarization resistance and full cell resistance;
• Determination and separation of the bulk conductivity from that of the grain boundary;
• Evaliation of the electrode reaction polarization;

   

• Analysis of the results obtained by laboratory tests or analysis of external results using conventional and advanced electrochemical methods - impedance and dielectric spectroscopy, non-stationary and differential analysis, differential resistance analysis, imaging diagnostics, etc.

Person in Charge: Dr. Blagoy Burdin; b.burdin@iees.bas.bg