0.38mm High Performance Nickel Felt GDL for Electrolysis

0.38mm High Performance Nickel Felt GDL for Electrolysis

This 0.38mm nickel felt is manufactured from highpurity nickel fibers (≥99.5% Ni) via a nonwoven layering process followed by hightemperature vacuum sintering. The result is a threedimensional, interconnected porous structure with isotropic inplane properties. At this thickness, the sintered fiber junctions form a rigid yet slightly flexible backbone, giving the felt good tensile strength and dimensional stability under mechanical load.

When deployed as a gas diffusion layer (GDL) in electrochemical cells, the material serves multiple roles. Its open porosity and uniform pore size distribution facilitate rapid gasliquid exchange and reduce concentration polarization near the electrode surface. The continuous nickel fiber network offers low electrical resistance, while the native surface chemistry of nickel ensures stable corrosion performance in alkaline and neutral electrolyte environments. The felt also tolerates elevated operating temperatures and has a thermal expansion coefficient compatible with common electrode substrates.

Key parameters—including thickness, areal density, and porosity—can be tailored to suit different cell designs without compromising the material’s structural integrity. Consistent processing conditions guarantee batchtobatch reproducibility, making this GDL suitable for longterm service in water electrolysis systems and other electrochemical devices that require efficient fluid distribution and dependable mechanical support.

Product Specifications

Material: Ni 200

Size:100*100*0.38mm

Porosity: 60%-70%

Technique: Sintering

Product Features

Threedimensional interconnected pore structure
The felt is built from nickel fibers that form an open, continuous network with no deadend pores. This architecture provides lowtortuosity pathways for both gas and liquid phases, facilitating rapid reactant supply to the electrode surface and swift removal of products from the reaction zone.

Adjustable porosity and permeability
Porosity and gas permeability can be varied over a broad range to match the masstransfer and pressuredrop requirements of different electrochemical systems. Higher porosity improves species exchange rates while the skeletal framework still offers adequate mechanical support for the electrode.

High electronic conductivity
The interlocked nickel fiber network creates a lowresistance pathway for electron transport. Even under compressive loads, the fiber contacts remain reliable, helping to reduce ohmic polarization in cells or electrolyzers and contributing to improved overall energy efficiency.

Corrosion stability in alkaline and neutral media
A stable passive film forms on the nickel surface in alkaline and neutral aqueous environments, giving the material good resistance to chemical attack. This property helps maintain structural integrity and electrochemical activity over extended operating periods.

Thermal stability at elevated temperatures
Even during prolonged exposure to high operating temperatures, the felt holds its original mechanical strength and porous architecture. Its thermal expansion coefficient sits close to that of standard metallic cell components, so temperature fluctuations do not create significant interfacial stress or cause delamination.
Mechanical strength, dimensional stability, and thickness customisation
Sintered fiber junctions give the felt adequate tensile strength and resistance to compression creep. Under stack assembly pressures, the material holds its thickness and ensures uniform contact at the GDLelectrode interface. Additionally, thickness and areal density can be adjusted within a practical range to accommodate different plate gaps and compression tolerances, offering design flexibility for stack optimisation.

Product Applications

AEM Water Electrolysis – Anode Gas Diffusion Layer
In anionexchange membrane electrolyzers, the felt serves as the anodeside gas diffusion layer, carrying current, supplying reactant water, and venting evolved oxygen. The open, interconnected pore network offers lowtortuosity routes for both gas and liquid, which helps reduce anodic masstransfer overpotentials. Pure nickel withstands the strongly alkaline, highpotential environment typical of AEM operation, providing longterm stability without significant corrosion.

Anode GDL for PEM Electrolysis – Oxygen Evolution Side
For PEM electrolyzers, this felt is also placed on the anode side. Carbonbased diffusion layers are unsuitable here because the oxygen evolution reaction oxidises carbon to CO₂ or carbonate. The nickel felt, as a metallic porous structure, circumvents that problem. Its continuous nickel fibre network supplies a lowresistance electronic path, lowering ohmic polarisation even under the highly oxidising and acidic conditions at the PEM anode.

Alkaline Water Electrolysis (ALK) – Electrode Substrate and Diffusion Layer
In conventional alkaline electrolysers, the material can function either as a gas diffusion layer or directly as the electrode substrate. Its threedimensional porous architecture gives a large accessible surface area that benefits both hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions. The sintered fibre network resists compressive creep effectively: when clamped in a stack, the felt preserves its original thickness and keeps good interfacial contact with surrounding components.
PEM Fuel Cells – Gas Diffusion Layer
In protonexchange membrane fuel cells, this felt acts as the gas diffusion layer. The high porosity and even pore size distribution help disperse reactant gases evenly across the catalyst layer, while also wicking away product water efficiently—essential for stable cell performance and extended cycle life.

Flow Batteries – Porous Electrode or FlowField Material
In redox flow battery systems, the nickel fibre felt can be deployed as a porous electrode or as part of the flowfield structure. The open, interconnected network offers a large interfacial area for electrolyte reactions, and the lowresistance channels allow electrolyte to circulate freely with minimal pressure drop, improving both utilisation and roundtrip efficiency.

HighTemperature Electrochemical Devices – Porous Components
The felt withstands elevated operating temperatures, making it suitable for porous components in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) and similar hightemperature systems. The material’s thermal expansion sits within the same range as typical metallic interconnects and supports, so temperature cycling does not cause interfacial cracking or layer separation.