SANDOVAL AMADOR, ANDERSON ANDRES, SÁNCHEZ DE LA NIETA LÓPEZ, AGUSTÍN ALEANDRO, ENDRINO ARMENTEROS, JOSÉ LUIS, ZURITA GOTOR, MAURICIO
No
Int. J. Hydrog. Energy
Article
Científica
1
1
09/04/2026
001717274600001
Membrane degradation remains one of the main factors limiting the efficiency and lifespan of proton-exchange membrane electrolysers for green hydrogen production. This work investigates the conductivity of effluent water as a non-invasive variable for monitoring chemical membrane degradation during early stages of continuous electrolyzer operation. Experimental results show a clear correlation between conductivity and fluoride ion concentration, widely recognized as an indicator of Nafion chemical degradation. Based on these observations, a mechanistic kinetic model is proposed to describe the temporal evolution of conductivity as a function of applied current density and operating time, considering that degradation is induced by hydroxyl radicals and the formation of hydrofluoric acid. The model reproduces experimental trends with good agreement and provides a physicochemically well-founded framework for interpreting conductivity variations under different galvanostatic operating conditions. The results show that real-time, in-situ monitoring of membrane degradation is possible using a simple and widely available detection technology, without interrupting normal electrolyzer operation. These results highlight the potential of conductivity-based diagnostics as a practical tool for assessing membrane health in PEM electrolyzers and provide a basis for developing scalable monitoring strategies for industrial applications.
PEM electrolyzer; Membrane degradation; Fluoride emission rate; Kinetic model; Conductivity monitoring; Real-time monitoring