Ceramhyd

We are a growing clean tech company that has developed a proprietary ionic exchange membrane technology with applications in the field of hydrogen production, fuel cells, chlor-alkali industries and water treatment through electrodialysis.

Our membrane CERAPEM, made from ceramic materials that are environmentally friendly is perfectly impermeable to gases and can be conditioned to conduct a variety of cations and anions.

The cost/performance benefits of this new membrane has been demonstrated in PEM electrolysers, and hypochlorous acid generators designed, developed and manufactured by the company for refuelling and indutrial hydrogen applications and for water treatment

We are now scaling-up the membrane production so that products can be supplied to other markets such as PEM fuel cells, Vanadium Redox Batteries, and Chlor-Alkali Industry .

Ceram Hyd offers CERAPEM based electrolyzers with capacities ranging between 3.9 and 13 Nm3/hr of hydrogen. The standard version allows for the production of 99.997% purity hydrogen gas with an efficiency of 84% based on HHV (Higher Heating Value= 1.481 V).

The purity and degree of moisture in the product gases can be adapted to the client’s needs up to a dew point of -70 °C and hydrogen purity of 5 ppm. Ceram Hyd’s electrolyzers are controlled by software developed in-house and could be adapted to the specific client’s needs, thus rendering the operation of the electrolyzer both simple and robust. The electrolyzer consumes demineralized water which can be supplied directly or via an integrated distillator (optional).

UYIOI YT

Ceram Hyd offers CERAPEM based electrolyzers with capacities ranging between 3.9 and 13 Nm3/hr of hydrogen. The standard version allows for the production of 99.997% purity hydrogen gas with an efficiency of 84% based on HHV (Higher Heating Value= 1.481 V).

The purity and degree of moisture in the product gases can be adapted to the client’s needs up to a dew point of -70 °C and hydrogen purity of 5 ppm. Ceram Hyd’s electrolyzers are controlled by software developed in-house and could be adapted to the specific client’s needs, thus rendering the operation of the electrolyzer both simple and robust. The electrolyzer consumes demineralized water which can be supplied directly or via an integrated distillator (optional).

PRODUITS N°2 OKPERF RP

Ceram Hyd offers CERAPEM based electrolyzers with capacities ranging between 3.9 and 13 Nm3/hr of hydrogen. The standard version allows for the production of 99.997% purity hydrogen gas with an efficiency of 84% based on HHV.

The purity and degree of moisture in the product gases can be adapted to the client’s needs up to a dew point of -70 °C and hydrogen purity of 5 ppm.

Ceram Hyd’s electrolyzers are controlled by software developed in-house and could be adapted to the specific client’s needs, thus rendering the operation of the electrolyzer both simple and robust.

The electrolyzer consumes demineralized water which can be supplied directly or via an integrated distillator (optional).

PRDUIT N°3 DKP J R PO $T KPP T$ 3 3GFDB THT RR

04/04/2011

We are present in Hannover Messe from april 4th to 8th - Hall 13 - stand D20/06

01/01/2011

Ceram Hyd ’s team presents its best wishes for 2011 and hope to meet you soon in its new premises:

5, avenue des Renardières

77250 Ecuelles / FRANCE.

Why is hydrogen the fuel of the future?

Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe. It is one of the most efficient fuels in terms of energy density and whether used in combustion with oxygen or in fuel cells, is emissions neutral. It can be produced using many technologies and feed stocks and hence, is instrumental for energy independence.

Hydrogen today

Although frequently omitted in media coverage on fuel cells, hydrogen is not just the fuel of the distant future: it is one of the most used commodities in the industry today. An estimated 60 million tons of hydrogen are produced and consumed yearly spanning almost every industrial sector. Hydrogen is currently used in oil refineries, fertilizer production (ammonia), methanol synthesis, pharmaceuticals, metallurgy, semiconductors, float glass, fat hydrogenation etc… After nitrogen, it is the second most consumed gas in the world.

How is hydrogen produced?

Hydrogen is currently produced through the reforming of hydrocarbons or from electrolysis. Reforming of hydrocarbons, particularly natural gas in the process of steam methane reforming (SMR) is dominant, followed by hydrogen from coal and lastly, only 4% of hydrogen is produced from electrolysis, mostly as a by-product from chlor alkali plants. Every ton of hydrogen produced from SMR results in the emission of 10 tons of CO₂ while hydrogen from coal emits 20 tons of CO₂ per ton of hydrogen. To put this in perspective, if all hydrogen currently produced from natural gas and coal were to be produced from electrolysis powered by renewable sources, global CO₂ emissions would decrease by about 1.9%. The reason why electrolysis is not more frequently used is price as hydrogen produced from electrolysis is 4x more expensive than hydrogen from hydrocarbon sources.

Electrolysis: how does it work?

Electrolysis is a familiar concept to most people who took high school chemistry classes. In its most basic form, electrolysis involves the use of two electrodes and water: electricity separates water into its hydrogen and oxygen constituents. But this basic design is inefficient: the oxygen and hydrogen products remix as easily as they separate and the resistivity of a pure water electrolyte (i.e. the inverse of the degree of dissociation) is too high to produce anything useful at all but very high electric currents. To increase the efficiency of electrolysis, the produced hydrogen and oxygen gases must be physically separated: this is accomplished either through the use of diaphragms or membranes. To increase the degree of dissociation of water, acid or base solutions must be used and the electrodes must be coated with the adapted catalysts. Electrolysers that use alkaline (base) electrolytes are called alkaline electrolyzers and the majority of these use diaphragm technology. Those that use membranes and an acid electrolyte are known as proton exchange membranes. The hydrogen production process in both electrolysis methods is schematically shown here.

What are the key benefits of the CERAPEM technology?

The CERAPEM technology was conceived to increase the efficiency of electrolysis, reduce the cost of electrolyzers and enable mass production. Electrolyzers based on the CERAPEM technology will be compact, energy-efficient, durable, modular and cheap.

How much does it cost?

The cost of hydrogen is ultimately dependent on three factors: the feedstock, the technology and the scale of the production. For instance, coal feedstock costs less than natural gas and reformers cost less than electrolyzers per unit power. Scale is essential, particularly in reformers as it drastically decreases the share of equipment cost relative to feedstock in the overall cost of hydrogen. To give an idea, the cost of large volumes of hydrogen produced through SMR with natural gas at 4$/MMBtu can be as low as 2$/kg H₂, whereas hydrogen produced from electrolysis with peak electricity prices (80 $/MWh) and state of the art alkaline electrolyzers can be as high as 12 $/kg H₂. The large discrepancy between the cost of electrolytic hydrogen and hydrogen from hydrocarbons is the underlying reason for the small market share of electrolysis.

What are home refueling stations?

Future hydrogen fueled vehicles will require a hydrogen distribution infrastructure. This is a costly enterprise and it is not yet very clear who will bear the costs/risks and reap the rewards of such an large scale infrastructure. In addition, hydrogen refueling stations akin to today’s gasoline stations will require costly and high maintenance compressors to “gas up” the vehicles in a reasonable amount of time (less than 1 minute). An alternative would be to install “home refueling stations”.

What is the relevance of hydrogen for energy storage?

As the penetration of intermittent renewable energies in the global primary energy supply increases, energy storage will become a must. Today, electric energy storage is mainly done through pumped hydro dams: whereas pumped hydro is a clean and efficient solution, it is restricted by the geographic availability of suited sites and is only adapted to very large scale energy storage (hundreds of GWh). Storing energy in the form of electrolytic hydrogen for later reconversion into electricity via turbines or fuel cells is a modular, economically viable and environmentally friendly solution.

Is hydrogen subsidized?

To date, there is no direct hydrogen subsidy although considerable efforts are being deployed by concerned associations and individuals to establish an initial hydrogen subsidy, similar to the feed-in tariffs of renewable energy, that would help to level the ground for the future development of the hydrogen economy.

How far along the development cycle is Ceram Hyd?

Ceram Hyd is already producing commercial electrolyzers. For more details, please contact our sales.

What is water treatment?

Drinking water: Water must be subjected to stringent treatment requirements before it can be drinkable. A variety of treatments are available addressing different contaminants and impurities that must be removed. An estimated 1,2 billion people in the world do not have access to drinking water that meets the basic requirements of the WHO (World Health Organisation).

Waste water: Sewage, industrial and agricultural water, collectively known as waste water, must be treated before being dispatched to meet environmental and regulatory requirements. In a variety of industrial systems, the application of chlorine minimizes the presence of microorganisms that can cause biological fouling, contribute to corrosion, and reduce equipment efficiency.

Desalination: Desalination is the removal of salt from seawater to produce drinking water. In many places in the world, ranging from the Gulf countries all the way to Australia, desalination is one of the main source of drinking water. Many experts also believe that desalination may be the main solution for the impending water shortages that seem likely to occur in the not-so-distant future.

How is water disinfected ?

Physical routes: distillation, reverse osmosis, filtration techniques, electrodialysis, UV

Chemical routes: ozone, hydrogen peroxide, chlorine

Chlorine is the main chemical route for water disinfection and is achieved via the addition of chlorine and/or some of its derivatives. Chlorination remains to date the first line of defense in drinking water treatment. The chlorine family of disinfectants includes:

Gaseous Chlorine: Chlorine gas can be directly injected to treat water. The chlorine gas molecule dissociates to create a mixture of hydrochloric acid (no disinfection capability), hypochlorite ions (low disinfection capability) and hypochlorous acid (very high disinfection capability). Chlorine gas is toxic and therefore care must be taken in transport and use.

Sodium hypochlorite: Sodium hypochlorite, commonly known as bleach, is synthesized by combining chlorine and caustic soda, either in a central plant or onsite. Once dissolved water, sodium hypochlorite dissociates into hypochlorous acid and hypochlorite ions. Given that sodium hypochlorite has a high pH, the concentration of hypochlorous acid relative to hypochlorite ions in treated water is typically low, entailing the use of a high dosage of sodium hypochlorite to achieve the required level of disinfection.

Chlorine dioxide: Chlorine dioxide is a faster-acting disinfectant than elemental chlorine, however it is relatively rarely used as it may create excessive amounts of chlorite, and unwanted by-product. Chlorine dioxide is supplied as an aqueous solution and added to water to avoid gas handling problems; chlorine dioxide gas accumulations may spontaneously detonate. Another major disadvantage of chlorine dioxide is that it requires longer contact times than elemental chlorine, which may not always be feasible.

What is hypochlorous acid ?

Hypochlorous acid is the most potent form of chlorination, almost 80 times more efficient than the hypochlorite ion OCl- . When using gaseous chlorine to treat water, half the chlorine goes to make the potent hypochlorous acid whereas the other half makes hydrochloric acid, which is a strong acid. This results in considerable lowering of the treated water’s pH, necessitating pH adjustment after treatment and thus increasing the treatment process’s complexity.

CERAPEM in water treatment

Given the low stability of sodium hypochlorite and the toxicity of gaseous chlorine, it is in general desirable to produce and consume onsite and on-demand, to eliminate the problems of transportation, storage and safety. This goal is hampered by the cost and availability of onsite/on-demand production technologies: gaseous chlorine is typically manufactured in large chlor-alkali plants which cannot be efficiently scaled down while sodium hypochlorite onsite generators are expensive, bulky and inefficient.

Ceram Hyd’s CW series is a highly efficient on-site/on-demand generator of hypochlorous acid directly which is a breakthrough in cost, footprint and resource efficiency for onsite chlorination.

Download the logos Ceram Hyd and CERAPEM.

Download a photo from the membrane CERAPEM and our new premises

Brochure Reinventing Water.

Data specifications CERAPEM, H2 Generator, HClO Generator

Roll Up 1, Roll Up 2

Edition

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