Electrochemical Characterization and Modeling of a Solid Oxide Membrane-Based Electrolyzer for Production of Magnesium and Oxygen

This paper reports a solid oxide membrane (SOM) electrolysis experiment using an LSM-Inconel inert anode current collector for production of Mg and O₂ at 1423K. The electrochemical performance of the SOM cell was evaluated by using various electrochemical techniques including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, potentiodynamic scans, and potentiostatic electrolysis. The effects of Mg solubility in the flux on the current efficiency and the YSZ membrane stability during SOM electrolysis were discussed and examined through experiment and modeling. The electronic transference number of the flux were measured to assess the Mg dissolution in the flux during SOM electrolysis. A negative correlation between the electronic transference number of the flux and the current efficiency of the SOM electrolysis was observed.