In this disclosure, a process of recycling acid, base and the salt reagents required in the Li recovery process is introduced. A membrane electrolysis cell which incorporates an oxygen depolarized cathode is implemented to generate the required chemicals onsite. The system can utilize a portion of the salar brine or other lithium-containing brine or solid waste to generate hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and carbonate salts. Simultaneous generation of acid and base allows for taking advantage of both chemicals during the conventional Li recovery from brines and mineral rocks. The desalinated water can also be used for the washing steps on the recovery process or returned into the evaporation ponds. The method also can be used for the direct conversion of lithium salts to the high value LiOH product. The method does not produce any solid effluent which makes it easy-to-adopt for use in existing industrial Li recovery plants.

In this disclosure, a process of recycling acid, base and the salt reagents required in the Li recovery process is introduced. A membrane electrolysis cell which incorporates an oxygen depolarized cathode is implemented to generate the required chemicals onsite. The system can utilize a portion of the salar brine or other lithium-containing brine or solid waste to generate hydrochloric or sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide and carbonate salts. Simultaneous generation of acid and base allows for taking advantage of both chemicals during the conventional Li recovery from brines and mineral rocks. The desalinated water can also be used for the washing steps on the recovery process or returned into the evaporation ponds. The method also can be used for the direct conversion of lithium salts to the high value LiOH product. The method does not produce any solid effluent which makes it easy-to-adopt for use in existing industrial Li recovery plants.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolysis technique such that the electrolysis performance is unlikely to be deteriorated, and excellent catalytic activity is retained stably over a long period of time even when electric power having a large output fluctuation, such as renewable energy, is used a power source, and this object is realized by an alkaline water electrolysis method, in which an electrolytic solution obtained by dispersing a catalyst containing a hybrid cobalt hydroxide nanosheet (Co-NS) being a composite of a metal hydroxide and an organic substance is supplied to an anode chamber and a cathode chamber that form an electrolytic cell, and the electrolytic solution is used for electrolysis in each chamber in common, and an alkaline water electrolysis anode.

Method for forming a membrane electrode assembly, include for example, providing a first layer membrane, a second layer membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode. The first layer membrane has a first thickness, the second layer membrane has a thickness less than the first thickness, and the second layer membrane contains a catalyst content that is greater than a catalyst content in the first layer membrane. The first layer membrane, the second layer membrane, the anode electrode, and the cathode electrode are formed into a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising an exchange membrane having an interface between the first layer membrane and the second layer membrane. In some embodiments, may include a first and second lamination process, a single laminating process, a roll-to-roll process, and/or a casting process.

Method for forming a membrane electrode assembly, include for example, providing a first layer membrane, a second layer membrane, an anode electrode, and a cathode electrode. The first layer membrane has a first thickness, the second layer membrane has a thickness less than the first thickness, and the second layer membrane contains a catalyst content that is greater than a catalyst content in the first layer membrane. The first layer membrane, the second layer membrane, the anode electrode, and the cathode electrode are formed into a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) comprising an exchange membrane having an interface between the first layer membrane and the second layer membrane. In some embodiments, may include a first and second lamination process, a single laminating process, a roll-to-roll process, and/or a casting process.

An exchange membrane includes, for example, a first layer membrane having a first thickness, a second layer membrane having a thickness less than the first thickness, and the second layer membrane containing a catalyst, a catalyst content in the second layer membrane being greater than a catalyst content in the first layer membrane, and the exchange membrane having an interface between the first layer membrane and the second layer membrane. In some embodiments, the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) includes the first layer membrane without a catalyst, and/or the exchange membrane includes a bi-layer exchange membrane.

The present application relates to an electrode catalyst for water electrolysis including a first transition metal foam, a metal layered double hydroxide (LDH)/metal oxide mixed layer which contains a second transition metal and a third transition metal that are formed on the surface of the first transition metal foam, and fourth transition metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles formed on the surface of the mixed layer, in which the mixed layer surface contains the metal layered double hydroxide.

The present application relates to an electrode catalyst for water electrolysis including a first transition metal foam, a metal layered double hydroxide (LDH)/metal oxide mixed layer which contains a second transition metal and a third transition metal that are formed on the surface of the first transition metal foam, and fourth transition metal oxyhydroxide nanoparticles formed on the surface of the mixed layer, in which the mixed layer surface contains the metal layered double hydroxide.

A method foe producing a transparent electrode for oxygen production having a Ta nitride layer on a transparent substrate, including: a step of forming a Ta nitride precursor layer on the transparent substrate; and a step of nitriding the Ta nitride precursor layer with a mixed gas containing ammonia and a carrier gas.

The disclosure relates to the technical field of electrolysis cells, and in particular to a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) and a preparation method thereof. The SOEC provided by the disclosure adopts an n-type TiO.sub.2 layer and a p-type La.sub.0.6Sr.sub.0.4Co.sub.0.2Fe.sub.0.8O.sub.3−δ layer as an electrolyte layer. Although the n-type TiO.sub.2 and the p-type La.sub.0.6Sr.sub.0.4Co.sub.0.2Fe.sub.0.8O.sub.3−δ have both ionic and electronic conductivities, the electric field effect of a PN junction between the two layers can effectively cut off the transmission of intermediate layer electrons and enable ions to rapidly pass through. The SOEC can effectively avoid short circuit and exhibit excellent performance. Furthermore, the above structure allows the SOEC to have a stable performance output, and the SOEC can be produced on a large scale due to low material cost.