New All‐Vanadium Redox Flow Cell

A laboratory-scale cell was constructed to test the performance of V(II)/V(III) and V(IV)/V(V) half-cells in an all-vanadium redox battery. Graphite plates were used as electrodes, and the membrane was manufactured from a sulfonated polyehylene anion-selective material. The average charging efficiency of the cell was over 90 percent. Stability tests on the reduced and oxidized electrolytes, measured over the temperature range of -5 C to 60 C, showed no accelerated decomposition at high temperatures and no crystallization at the lower temperatures. After prolonged usage, however, a slow deterioration of the positive electrode and the membrane was observed. 9 references.