There is the classic adage that you get what you pay for, and nowhere does this seem more appropriate than where an ion exchange membrane price is concerned.
Take the proprietary technologies of the Dioxide Materials patented Sustainion alkaline ionomers and alkaline ion exchange membranes. Proven to be one of the most advanced methods of conversion available, they are imidazolium functionalized styrene polymer membranes that offer superior conductivity and high current densities at low voltage.
In repeated studies and trials, these proprietary membranes have raised the current and lifetime of the CO2 electrolyzer into a commercially useful range and shown conductivities above 100 mS/cm under alkaline conditions at 60 °C. They have demonstrated a lifetime over 4000 hours (almost 6 months) in CO2 electrolyzers at high current densities and had stability for thousands of hours in 1M KOH. Functional across an array of applications, they have a physical mechanical stability unprecedented in the electrochemical conversion process.
And, the ion exchange membrane is priced very competitively starting at $19.99.. As reported in 2011, the team at Dioxide Materials learned that combining two catalysts such as silver and an ionic liquid solution with equal volumes of 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate (EMIM-BF4) and water, reduced the overpotential for CO2 conversion to carbon monoxide (CO) from about 1 volt to only 0.17 volts. This was deemed one of the most relevant findings of the year – demonstrating that it is now economically feasible to convert CO2 to high value chemicals and fuels.
Since then, the firm has expanded on its findings and used them to create an optimal range of equipment, including the anion exchange membranes or Sustainion designs. The ion exchange membranes were designed with various degrees of mechanical strength and support based on the application needs..
When looking for ion exchange membranes, consider what you might gain in return with high performing Sustainion membranes and what they may contribute to the lifetime of the conversion equipment and your research goals.