Hydrogen-mediated electrolyzer system for acid and base production from saltwater

This technology is a membrane-free electrolyzer that generates acidic and alkaline product streams from saltwater using hydrogen-mediated redox reactions, enabling efficient, low-voltage operation without ion-exchange membranes or fouling.

Unmet Need: Energy-efficient chemical production from saline feedstocks

Large volumes of acids and bases are crucial for industries such as water treatment, mining, manufacturing, and carbon capture, among others. Conventional chlor-alkali and other electrolysis systems typically rely on expensive ion-exchange membranes and high-purity water, making them costly and prone to degradation. There is a need for an energy-efficient, membrane-free electrolysis system capable of processing impure or saline feedstocks without sacrificing performance or electrode longevity.

The Technology: Membrane-free electrolyzer for producing acid and base streams

This technology enables the direct, low-energy conversion of saltwater into separate acid and base streams, eliminating the need for costly membranes or purified water. By using hydrogen as a redox mediator, it achieves efficient ionic separation at low voltages while avoiding scaling and fouling. The system supports continuous, durable operation using seawater or brine, lowering cost and energy use for chemical production and desalination byproduct treatment.

Applications:

• Chlor-alkali and industrial chemical manufacturing
• Sustainable acid and base generation from brine
• Brine treatment and resource recovery
• Carbon dioxide capture and utilization
• Mining and critical mineral processing
• Direct lithium extraction
• Extraction of metals from seawater

Advantages:

• Low voltage operation
• Energy-efficient
• Membrane-free
• Low-fouling design
• Compatible with impure saline feedstocks
• Reduced membrane degradation

Lead Inventor:

Daniel Esposito, Ph.D.

Patent Information:

Patent Pending (US20240003021)

Related Publications:

• Badjatya P, Akca A, Fraga Alvarez D, Chang B, Ma S, Pang X, Wang E, Van Hinsberg Q, Esposito DV, Kawashima S. “Carbon-Negative Cement Manufacturing from Seawater-Derived Magnesium Feedstocks.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States of America. 2022 Aug 16; 119(34)

• Fraga Alvarez DV, Livitz D, Pang X, Mahmud N, Bishop KJM, El-Naas MH, Esposito DV. “Alkalinity Enhancement during Reject Brine Electrolysis: Role of Electrocatalyst Placement on the Outer Surfaces of Porous Flow-Through Electrodes.” ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2023 Oct 1; 11(43): pp. 15620-15631

Tech Ventures Reference:

• IR CU20290, CU19247

• Licensing Contact: Dovina Qu