Upscaling and Manufacturing of Ion-Selective Membranes for Energy Storage (IonMembrane)

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Electrochemical energy storage and conversion technologies play a significant role in the storage of energy produced by renewables such as wind and solar as well as in the generation and utilization of clean energy carriers (e.g., hydrogen). Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are promising for grid-scale long-duration energy storage as required for the integration of intermittent renewable energy into the grid. Nafion membrane takes up to 40% of the stack cost in RFBs. The design, development, and manufacturing of sustainable low cost polymer membranes with high selectivity and high stability represent a major challenge for the development of cost-effective electrochemical technologies for energy conversion and storage.With the support of ERC-funded curiosity-driven fundamental research, we have developed a new generation of hydrocarbon-based membranes that overcome the performance limitations found in all existing ion exchange membranes, particularly for redox flow battery applications. This proof of concept grant would provide a timely opportunity to explore the pathways to commercialization of our new ion-selective membranes for grid-scale energy storage as well as for hydrogen technologies. We propose to work on: (1) Scaling uppolymer synthesis, (2) Manufacturing membranes via roll-to-roll casting to produce meter-square-sized membranes and engineering to optimize membrane performance, (3) Validating performance of these large-area membranes in flow battery stacks, instead of small single cells, for more intense evaluation of their performance under real-world conditions. This project will also involve collaboration with academic and industrial partners including large energy and small start-up companies, from green manufacturing to performance validation in battery stacks. The project will help advance the ground-breaking research toward commercialization.