ECOLECTRO, INC. - NEW OPEN 2018 AWARD. CONTROL #: 1858-3556 PROJECT TITLE: ''MODULAR ULTRASTABLE ALKALINE EXCHANGE IONOMERS TO ENABLE HIGH PERFORMING FUEL CELL AND ELECTROLYZER SYSTEMS'' ALKALINE EXCHANGE IONOMERS (AEIS) ARE A KEY ENABLING COMPONENTS TOWARDS THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW AND LOWER COST-CURVE FOR FUEL CELL AND ELECTROLYZER TECHNOLOGIES. DEVELOPMENT OF MATERIALS THAT ARE RESILIENT TO THE HARSH ALKALINE OPERATING CONDITIONS EXPERIENCED DURING FUEL CELL AND/OR ELECTROLYZER OPERATION IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE PREVENTING WIDESPREAD ADOPTION OF AEMS IN COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS. IN ADDITION, THE MATERIALS DEVELOPED, I.E. AEIS, NEED TO PERFORM AT THE SAME PERFORMANCE METRICS AS CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES. THE WORK PROPOSED AND TO BE EXECUTED THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO ADDRESS THESE ISSUES AND PROVIDE A PATHWAY TO VIABILITY IN REAL-WORLD APPLICATIONS. THE AEIS DEVELOPED THROUGH THIS WORK WILL BE THOROUGHLY EVALUATED BY BEST-PRACTICE INDUSTRY STANDARDS TO CONFIRM THAT THEY POSSESS THE NECESSARY REQUIREMENTS FOR COMMERCIAL DEVICES. ULTIMATELY, SYNTHETIC PATHWAYS GENERATED WILL BE: (1) STRAIGHTFORWARD; (2) COST EFFECTIVE; AND (3) AMENABLE TO LARGE SCALE PROCESSING. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE AEIS WILL BE HIGH PERFORMING IN FUEL CELL AND ELECTROLYZER SYSTEMS, DEMONSTRATING COMPARABLE DURABILITY AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCIES VERSUS THE CURRENT STATE OF THE ART PROTON EXCHANGE MEMBRANES (PEM). A COLLABORATION BETWEEN ECOLECTRO, THE NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY AND PROTON ONSITE WILL CONDUCT THE PROPOSED EFFORTS AND ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE OPEN 2018 CALL.