Fluorine-Free Water electrolysis Development – FFWD FastForward

The overall objective of “FFWD – fluorine-free water electrolysis development” is to make PEM water electrolysis more efficient and environmentally benign. To achieve this, PFAS-free hydrocarbon polymers will be developed, which are better suited for high temperatures and inherently more gas tight. This advantage can be used to reduce the membrane thickness and operate at higher temperatures, both resulting in higher efficiency. Thanks to the PFAS-free nature of these polymers FFWD eliminates the use of critical resources and makes recycling easier. The technical goals are set to develop a PFAS-free PEM polymer and membrane with lower resistance compared to state-of-the-art membranes and develop catalyst coated membranes for operation in high pressure (100 bar) and high temperature electrolysis (> 100°C). With the help of additional polymer supply it is planned to scale up to 250 cm² short stack.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which are suspected to cause severe diseases and are proven to contaminate the soils in France and Germany, are facing several political campaigns to be banned. Developing PFAS-free alternatives therefore contributes to health and environmental protection and furthermore could aid the structural transformation of existing industrial PFAS capacities.
This collaboration capitalizes on France’s and Germany’s strength in polymer research and industry and bears the potential to establish a Franco-German value chain across the border with membranes supplied from Syensqo (FR) being processed by ionysis GmbH (GER) and then employed in electrolyzers from Elogen (FR).
Within FFWD, low TRL research will be conducted by all partners: TU Chemnitz will develop novel hydrocarbon polymers, Hahn-Schickard research institute will develop the hydrocarbon membrane and ionysis GmbH the catalyst coated membranes (CCMs). Syensqo will supply polymers and membranes in addition, while University Lorraine will focus on characterization and testing at high pressure. Elogen, as an electrolyzer manufacturer, will contribute to the development of CCMs and testing at high temperature and in short stack.
In general, the project is extremely well-balanced with evenly splits project costs (53:47), number of partners in terms of country (50:50) and between academia and industry (50:50). The project partners are carefully selected by their expertise, the roles are clearly defined, and all necessary skills are covered to complete the project successfully. The project’s goals and work packages are ambitious and foster strong collaboration. To ensure high probability of success, fallback options for key deliverables have been implemented in form of a risk assessment.
To maximize the benefit from the collaboration, all partners have agreed on welcoming exchange students as interns during the project period. In total 4 student exchanges are already planned, two from each country. Outreach will be boosted by a project website and a planned workshop in Strasbourg on PFAS-free materials in PEM electrolysis.