An electrochemical reactor including: a diaphragm/electrodes assembly; at least one first reinforcement attached to one of the surfaces of the diaphragm and surrounding either the anode or the cathode; a conductive bipolar plate including a first flow manifold passing therethrough, one first surface including flow channels from a cathode reactive area and moreover including cathode homogenization channels placing the cathode reactive area in communication with the first collector; and at least one element from among the diaphragm and the first reinforcement not covering the cathode homogenization channels, depth of the cathode homogenization channels being greater than depth of the flow channels of the cathode reactive area.

A platform technology that uses a novel membrane electrode assembly, including a cathode layer, an anode layer, a membrane layer arranged between the cathode layer and the anode layer, the membrane conductively connecting the cathode layer and the anode layer, in a CO.sub.x reduction reactor has been developed. The reactor can be used to synthesize a broad range of carbon-based compounds from carbon dioxide and other gases containing carbon.

An electrochemical reaction device, includes: an electrolytic solution tank including a first storage part to store a first electrolytic solution containing carbon dioxide, and a second storage part to store a second electrolytic solution containing water; a reduction electrode disposed in the first storing part; an oxidation electrode disposed in the second storing part; a porous body disposed in the first storing part; and a flow path connecting the porous body and an outside of the electrolytic solution tank to supply gas containing carbon dioxide to the porous body.

An ion exchange membrane, a method for producing an ion exchange membrane, and an electrolyzer that enable a reduction in the electrolytic voltage when subjected to electrolysis are provided which have small influence of impurities in the electrolyte on electrolysis performance, and exert stable electrolysis performance. An ion exchange membrane includes a membrane main body containing a fluorine-containing polymer having an ion exchange group; and a coating layer arranged on at least one face of the membrane main body. The coating layer includes inorganic particles and a binder, a mass ratio of the binder to the total mass of the inorganic particles and the binder in the coating layer is 0.3 or more and 0.9 or less, and a coverage of the membrane main body with the coating layer is 50% or more.

An electrolysis method comprising an electrolysis cell (4), which method uses at least one recirculating flushing medium (50, 60). The invention further relates to an electrolysis system, in particular for carrying out the electrolysis method.

A carbon dioxide electrolytic device comprises an electrolysis cell including: a cathode to reduce a first substance containing carbon dioxide and thus produce a first product containing a carbon compound; a cathode flow path which faces the cathode and through which a gas containing the carbon dioxide flows; an anode to oxidize a second substance containing water or a hydroxide and thus produce a second product containing oxygen; an anode flow path which faces the anode and through which an electrolytic solution containing the water or the hydroxide flows; a water-repellent porous body which faces the anode flow path and through which the second product flows; and a separator provided between the anode and the cathode.

Described herein is a plurality of acicular particles dispersed with ionomer binder for use in an electrolyzer. The acicular particles comprise a microstructured core with a layer of catalytic material on at least one portion of the surface of the microstructured core. The catalytic material comprises iridium and the microstructured core comprises at least one of a polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon and heterocyclic compounds. The acicular particles are substantially free of platinum.

Cation exchange membranes and materials including silica-based ceramics, and associated methods, are provided. In some aspects, cation exchange membranes that include a silica-based ceramic that forms a coating on and/or within a porous support membrane are described. The cation exchange membranes and materials may have certain structural or chemical attributes (e.g., pore size/distribution, chemical functionalization) that, alone or in combination, can result in advantageous performance characteristics in any of a variety of applications for which selective transport of positively charged ions through membranes/materials is desired. In some embodiments, the silica-based ceramic contains relatively small pores (e.g., substantially spherical nanopores) that may contribute to some such advantageous properties. In some embodiments, the cation exchange membrane or material includes sulfonate and/or sulfonic acid groups covalently bound to the silica-based ceramic.

A method for preparing battery grade and high purity grade lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate from high-impurity lithium sources includes steps for preparation of a refined lithium salt solution, preparation of battery grade lithium hydroxide, preparation of high purity grade lithium hydroxide, preparation of high purity grade lithium carbonate and preparation of battery grade lithium carbonate. The system to carry out the preparation includes a refined lithium salt solution preparation subsystem, a battery grade lithium hydroxide preparation subsystem, a high purity grade lithium hydroxide preparation subsystem, a high purity grade lithium carbonate preparation subsystem and a battery grade lithium carbonate preparation subsystem arranged in turn according to production sequence. A combination of physical and chemical treatment methods are used to treat the high-impurity lithium sources having variations in lithium contents, impurity categories, and impurity contents.

An ion conducting membrane comprises an anion exchange layer, a cation exchange layer, and at least one flow channel formed between the anode exchange layer and the cation exchange layer. The anion exchange layer contacts the cation exchange layer. The resulting membrane exhibits low carbon dioxide crossover.