JP2015046361A - Cathode for microbial fuel battery use, method for manufacturing the same, and microbial fuel battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide: a cathode for microbial fuel battery use which is superior in water resistance; a method for manufacturing such a cathode for microbial fuel battery use; and a microbial fuel battery.SOLUTION: A cathode 30 for microbial fuel battery use is manufactured by forming a cutoff layer 32 by applying silicone to a surface of an electrode base material 31 having electron conductivity and gas permeability. A microbial fuel battery 1 comprises: an electrolytic solution S; an electrolytic cell 10 for holding microbe and a substrate of oxidative decomposition by microbe; an anode 20 disposed in the electrolytic cell 10; and a cathode 30 arranged in a cell body of the electrolytic cell 10, having one surface in contact with air outside the cell and the other surface in contact with the electrolytic solution S. In the cathode 30, a cutoff layer 32 including silicone is formed on the one surface in contact with air. The cutoff layer 32 includes a conductive substance. The conductive substance consists of carbon black. The cathode has a water resistance of 100 kPa or larger.

Description

  The present invention relates to a cathode for a microbial fuel cell, a method for producing the same, and a microbial fuel cell.

  In recent years, development of microbial fuel cells that generate electricity using oxidation-reduction reactions by microorganisms has been promoted. Microorganisms perform several stages of oxidation-reduction reactions to decompose organic substances and the like, and generate high-energy compounds for maintaining the living body by utilizing the electrochemical potential formed during this period. In the living organism of microorganisms, electrons generated by oxidative decomposition of organic matter are finally donated to final electron acceptors such as oxygen via electron acceptors involved in each redox reaction. In microbial fuel cells, electrons generated in the process of such oxidation-reduction reactions are collected using an electrode provided outside the living body as an electron acceptor, thereby converting the chemical energy possessed by organic matter into electrical energy. Convert and collect.

  A microbial fuel cell is attracting attention as a technology suitable for resource recycling because it can be applied to a microbial wastewater treatment system to perform decomposition treatment of organic matter and the like in parallel with power generation. In particular, microbial fuel cells can take away part of the chemical energy that is originally used for the growth of microorganisms by blocking the electron transport system of microorganisms, thus suppressing excessive growth of microorganisms used for wastewater treatment Useful to do. Therefore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is expected as a means for reducing excess sludge that becomes industrial waste.

  As a microbial fuel cell, there is generally known a two-cell microbial fuel cell in which an anode tank containing an anode and a cathode tank containing a cathode are separated by a diaphragm. In a two-tank microbial fuel cell, when microorganisms held in the anode tank oxidize and decompose organic matter to generate electrons and protons, the generated electrons move from the anode to the cathode via an external circuit, It moves from the anode tank to the cathode tank through the diaphragm. In the cathode tank, the electrons and protons that have moved react with oxygen to complete the cell reaction. In such a two-tank type microbial fuel cell, potassium ferricyanide, oxygen, or the like was required as an oxidizing agent in order to promote the cathode reaction. However, potassium ferricyanide has no regenerating ability of oxidizing power, Since operating power for aeration is required, there has been concern about practicality.

  Therefore, in recent years, the development of a single tank type microbial fuel cell having an oxygen cathode and an air cathode that directly uses oxygen in the air for the cathode reaction has become the mainstream. As a single tank type microbial fuel cell, a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in which a cathode and a diaphragm are integrated has been studied. In the treatment of wastewater, which is often a non-electrolyte solution, an electrode is used. It is recognized that the deterioration of the diaphragm due to the waste water affects the reaction efficiency rather than the short circuit between them. Therefore, at present, a single tank type microbial fuel cell in which an air cathode is directly installed in an anode tank without a diaphragm is being developed.

  For example, in Non-Patent Document 1, in a cathode substrate made of carbon cloth, an oxygen reduction catalyst layer is formed inside the anode tank, and a diffusion layer made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is formed on the air electrode side. A microbial fuel cell installed in an anode tank without a diaphragm is disclosed.

JP 2006-075791 A

Shaoan Cheng et.al., Increased performance of single-chamber microbial fuel cells using an improved cathode structure, Electrochemistry Communications, 2006, Vol.8, p.489-494

In a single tank type microbial fuel cell applied to microbial wastewater treatment as disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1, a tank body having a thin plate shape, a membrane shape, and a gas permeable air cathode holds waste water. It is provided so that it may constitute a part of. The air cathode is installed so that one side is in contact with the air outside the tank and the other side is in contact with the waste water inside the tank, so that oxygen in the air is supplied to the cathode reaction. It has a role to prevent leakage to the outside. Since the single tank type microbial fuel cell applied to the microbial wastewater treatment is assumed to be applied to a wastewater treatment tank having a depth of about 10 m, the air cathode provided is resistant to water pressure of about 100 kPa. Sex is required.
However, since the air cathode is formed of a porous material having oxygen permeability, the current situation is that it does not have sufficient water resistance. Usually, the air cathode is provided with water repellency by being coated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in order to prevent flooding. Therefore, although it is considered that the water resistance of the air cathode can be improved to a certain extent by increasing the coating amount with PTFE, when the coating amount of PTFE increases, the oxygen diffusibility in the air cathode deteriorates. There is a problem that the power generation efficiency decreases. Moreover, since PTFE is expensive, the manufacturing cost of the air cathode may increase.
Therefore, there is a demand for means for realizing an air cathode that is low in manufacturing cost and excellent in water resistance while having good oxygen diffusivity.
Therefore, the subject of this invention is providing the cathode for microbial fuel cells excellent in water resistance, its manufacturing method, and a microbial fuel cell.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a microbial fuel cell according to the present invention includes an electrolytic cell holding an electrolytic solution, a microorganism, and a substrate for oxidative decomposition by the microorganism, an anode disposed inside the electrolytic cell, and the electrolytic cell. A cathode disposed on the tank body of the tank, wherein one surface is in contact with air outside the tank and the other surface is in contact with the electrolyte, and the cathode contains silicone on the one surface in contact with air. The water-stopping layer is formed.

  In addition, the cathode for a microbial fuel cell according to the present invention includes an electrode base material having electron conductivity and gas permeability, and the electrode base material is formed with a water stop layer containing silicone on one side. It is characterized by being.

  In addition, the method for manufacturing a cathode for a microbial fuel cell according to the present invention includes a step of forming a water stop layer by applying silicone to one surface of an electrode base material having electron conductivity and gas permeability. .

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the cathode for microbial fuel cells excellent in water resistance, its manufacturing method, and a microbial fuel cell can be provided.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a structure of the cathode for microbial fuel cells which concerns on this embodiment, and a microbial fuel cell provided with the same. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the coating-film density of silicone in one example of the cathode for microbial fuel cells which concerns on this embodiment, and water pressure resistance. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the coating-film density of a silicone and oxygen permeability in an example of the cathode for microbial fuel cells which concerns on this embodiment.

  Hereinafter, a cathode for a microbial fuel cell according to an embodiment of the present invention, a manufacturing method thereof, and a microbial fuel cell will be described.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a microbial fuel cell cathode according to the present embodiment and a microbial fuel cell including the cathode.
The microbial fuel cell 1 according to the present embodiment is a one-cell type microbial fuel cell in which an electrolytic cell holding an electrolytic solution is not separated into a cathode cell and an anode cell, and mainly includes an electrolytic cell 10 and an anode 20. And a cathode 30 which is an air cathode.
In this microbial fuel cell 1, the electrolytic solution S is held in the electrolytic cell 10, and an external circuit 40 is connected between the anode 20 and the cathode 30 via a resistor, thereby forming a battery circuit. When a substrate for oxidative decomposition by microorganisms is continuously supplied to the electrolytic cell 10, the microorganisms oxidize and decompose the substrate to generate electrons, and these electrons are collected by the anode 20, thereby It works as a fuel cell that generates power continuously according to supply.

  The electrolytic cell 10 functions as an anode cell serving as a reaction field for the anode reaction, and has a role of holding the electrolytic solution S, the microorganism, and the substrate for oxidative decomposition by the microorganism during the battery reaction. As shown in FIG. 1, the anode 20 is disposed in the electrolytic cell 10 in a state of being immersed in an electrolytic solution S held inside the cell, and has a thin plate shape, a film shape, a tubular shape (hollow fiber shape), or the like. Is disposed in the tank body portion of the electrolytic cell 10 so as to form a part of the tank body holding the electrolytic solution S. The tank body portion in which the cathode 30 is disposed may be either a wall portion or a bottom portion forming the tank body, but the outside of the tank outside the cathode 30 is, for example, an oxygen-containing gas atmosphere such as air. Is done.

The electrolytic solution S held in the electrolytic cell 10 is composed of an aqueous electrolytic solution having proton conductivity and containing a substrate for oxidative decomposition by microorganisms. The electrolytic solution S has an anaerobic condition in which the dissolved concentration of oxygen that functions as an electron acceptor is low.
The substrate for oxidative degradation may contain one or more organic substances and inorganic substances that can be assimilated by microorganisms. Examples of organic substances include carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, etc., and inorganic substances such as ammonia, hydrogen sulfide, Examples thereof include iron oxide. That is, when the microbial fuel cell 1 according to the present embodiment is applied to microbial wastewater treatment, the electrolytic solution S may be composed of wastewater to be treated such as domestic wastewater and industrial wastewater.

  The electrolytic cell 10 includes a flow path that receives the supply of the electrolytic solution S from the outside and a flow path that discharges the electrolytic solution S to the outside so that the concentration of the substrate for oxidative decomposition contained in the electrolytic solution S is maintained. You may have. For example, the electrolytic cell 10 can be constituted by a wastewater treatment tank of a microbial wastewater treatment facility, or can be configured to communicate with a wastewater treatment tank of a microbial wastewater treatment facility.

The microorganisms retained in the electrolytic cell 10 may be a single species or a plurality of species as long as they contain microorganisms that catalyze the anode reaction by oxidative decomposition of the substrate. Microorganisms are decomposed by oxidizing a substrate to generate electrons and protons.
The form in which the microorganism is held in the electrolytic cell 10 is not limited to the form in which the microorganism is suspended in the electrolytic solution S. The form in which the microorganism is immobilized inside the electrolytic cell 10 or the anode 20 in the electrolytic cell 10 is immobilized. It is good also as a form to do.
The microorganism preferably includes a microorganism that directly transfers electrons generated by oxidative decomposition of the substrate to the anode 20. Examples of such microorganisms include bacteria belonging to the genus Geobacter and the genus Shewanella.

The electrolyte S may be loaded with a mediator that mediates electron transfer between the microorganism and the anode 20. By including a mediator in the electrolytic solution S, it is possible to conjugate the anode 20 with an electron transfer system of a microorganism that does not have the ability to transfer electrons directly to the electrode.
Examples of the mediator include methylene blue, neutral red, toluidine blue O, thionine, phenothiazinone, galocyanine, phthalocyanine, and ferrocene.

The anode 20 has a function as a current collector for collecting electrons generated by oxidative decomposition by microorganisms, and supplies the collected electrons to the cathode 30 through the external circuit 40. Therefore, the anode 20 and the external circuit 40 are electrically connected via a conducting wire.
The anode 20 is preferably made of a material that has electronic conductivity, is electrochemically stable, has a large surface area, and is excellent in the diffusibility of the substrate and product of the anode reaction. It can be formed of a carbon fiber material such as cloth or carbon paper, or a metal material such as platinum or stainless steel.
A microorganism or mediator that oxidatively decomposes the substrate may be immobilized on the anode 20.

The cathode 30 for a microbial fuel cell according to this embodiment is a cathode in which electrons supplied from the anode 20 through the external circuit 40, protons in the electrolyte S, and oxygen supplied from outside the electrolytic cell 10 react. It functions as a reaction field for the reaction.
The microbial fuel cell cathode 30 according to the present embodiment is an air cathode having gas permeability, and includes a cathode base material 31, a water stop layer 32, and a catalyst layer 33. In the cathode 30, the water stop layer 32 formed on one main surface in a thin plate shape, a film shape, a cylindrical shape (hollow fiber shape) or the like is in contact with air outside the tank, and the water stop layer 32 is formed. The catalyst layer 33 formed on the other main surface opposite to the surface is disposed in the tank body portion of the electrolytic cell 10 so as to be in contact with the electrolytic solution S. And the cathode 30 arrange | positioned at the tank body part comprises the tank body which hold | maintains the electrolyte solution S with the electrolytic tank 10, and on the other hand, accept | permits the spreading | diffusion of the oxygen from the tank exterior to the tank inside side, The leakage of the electrolyte S to the outside of the tank is prevented.

The cathode base 31 is an electrode main body that exchanges electrons between the external circuit 40 and oxygen that is an electron acceptor. Therefore, the external circuit 40 and the cathode base material 31 are electrically connected via a conducting wire.
The cathode substrate 31 is preferably made of a material having electron conductivity, electrochemical stability, a large surface area, and excellent diffusibility of the substrate and product of the cathode reaction. , Carbon fiber materials such as carbon cloth and carbon paper, and metal materials such as platinum and stainless steel.

The water blocking layer 32 is a layer provided for imparting water resistance to the microbial fuel cell cathode 30 according to the present embodiment, and is formed by coating one main surface of the cathode base 31 with silicone. The surface on which the water blocking layer 32 is formed is one surface (one surface) of the main surface of the cathode base material 31 and the surface opposite to the catalyst layer 33.
Since one main surface is in contact with air or the like and the other main surface is in contact with the electrolytic solution S, the cathode 30 receives water pressure corresponding to the water level of the electrolytic solution S from the inside of the electrolytic cell 10. . Since the cathode base material 31 and the catalyst layer 33 have poor water resistance, the electrolyte solution S may leak out of the tank when subjected to water pressure exceeding these water pressure resistances. However, by providing the water-stopping layer 32 containing silicone having excellent water repellency and water resistance, the water resistance of the cathode 30 is improved, and the action of preventing leakage of the electrolyte S held in the electrolytic cell 10 is achieved. can get.

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the relationship between the silicone coating film density and the water pressure resistance in an example of the microbial fuel cell cathode according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 2, the horizontal axis represents the mass (coating density) of silicone in the water blocking layer 32 formed per unit area of the cathode base material 31, and the vertical axis represents the water pressure resistance (kPa) of the cathode 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the water pressure resistance of the cathode 30 is measured by changing the density of the water blocking layer 32, it can be confirmed that the water pressure resistance of the cathode 30 has a positive correlation with an increase in coating film density. . At this time, the water pressure resistance of the cathode 30 tends to increase exponentially particularly when a certain coating film density is exceeded.
The reason for showing such a tendency is that the water pressure resistance of the cathode base material 31 formed of carbon cloth or the like mainly depends on the presence of pores such as texture due to fiber weaving. If pores remain when the water blocking layer 32 is formed with silicone, the water pressure resistance will not be improved sufficiently, but after all the pores are covered with the silicone coating film, the water pressure resistance will increase significantly. It will follow.
Therefore, if the density of the water blocking layer 32 is at least a density that can cover the pores of the cathode base material 31, it should be adjusted according to the desired water resistance imparted to the microbial fuel cell cathode 1. Can do. The water resistance of the cathode 30 is preferably set to a density of 100 kPa or more, for example, with respect to normal temperature still water. If the water resistance is 100 kPa or more, the water resistance can be ensured even when applied to a wastewater treatment tank having a depth of about 10 m. Even when the water-stopping layer 32 is formed at a density that achieves the desired water resistance, silicone is less expensive than PTFE and the like, and therefore the manufacturing cost of the cathode 30 can be reduced. Is possible.

  While the water stop layer 32 contributes to the water resistance of the cathode 30, it needs to have oxygen permeability for supplying oxygen outside the cell of the electrolytic cell 10 to the cathode reaction. Silicone has excellent oxygen permeability, but if the density of the water blocking layer 32 becomes excessive, the oxygen permeability of the water blocking layer 32 may be lost.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the silicone coating film density and the oxygen permeability in an example of the microbial fuel cell cathode according to the present embodiment.
3, the horizontal axis represents the mass of silicone in the water stop layer 32 formed per unit area of the cathode base material 31 (the coating film density or the thickness of the water stop layer 32), and the vertical axis represents the oxygen permeation of the cathode 30. It represents the rate (%). The oxygen permeability is a value expressed as a fraction of the overall oxygen transfer capacity coefficient via the cathode 30 with respect to the overall oxygen transfer capacity coefficient via the cathode where the water blocking layer 32 is not formed.
The overall oxygen transfer capacity coefficient (K) can be obtained by measuring the oxygen transfer between the tanks separated by the cathode, when the cathode reaction is stopped, and there is no change in the dissolved oxygen concentration in the tank over time In
K = {2.303 / (t ₂ −t ₁ )} log {(C _S −C ₁ ) / (C _S −C ₂ )} (Equation 1)
It is expressed as Here, _{C S} is the saturated dissolved oxygen concentration (mg / L), _{C 1} is the concentration of dissolved oxygen after ₁ hour _{t (mg / L), C} 2 is the concentration of dissolved oxygen after ₂ hours _t (mg / L). In FIG. 3, the oxygen transmission rate when there is no coating film (coating film density is 0) is 100%.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the oxygen permeability of the cathode 30 is measured while changing the density of the water blocking layer 32, it is confirmed that the oxygen permeability of the cathode 30 shows a decreasing tendency with respect to the increase in coating film density. it can. At this time, the oxygen permeability of the cathode 30 tends to decay exponentially when a certain coating film density is exceeded.
The reason for showing such a tendency is that the diffusion of oxygen to the cathode 30 is greatly influenced by the presence or absence of the surface fine structure. When the coating film density is low, the water blocking layer 32 has a non-uniform thickness due to the unevenness of the surface of the cathode base material 31, and therefore, oxygen permeability is generated by locally generating a portion where oxygen can permeate relatively easily. Is considered to be secured. On the other hand, when the coating film density of the silicone is excessive, the silicone is filled in the concave and convex portions on the surface of the cathode base material 31, and the thickness of the water blocking layer 32 grows uniformly. Oxygen permeability decreases in proportion to the coating film density.
Therefore, from the viewpoint of ensuring the oxygen permeability of the water stop layer 32, the density of the water stop layer 32 is suppressed to such an extent that the concave and convex recesses on the surface of the cathode base 31 are not completely filled with the silicone resin. It is desirable. The fact that the water blocking layer 32 has irregularities derived from the surface shape of the cathode base material 31 is also effective in increasing the contact angle of water.

The water-stopping layer 32 has an exponential increase in the water pressure resistance of the cathode 30 from the relationship between the silicone coating density shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and the water pressure resistance and oxygen permeability. It is preferable that the oxygen permeability of 30 is formed with a coating film density in a range that does not cause exponential decay. Therefore, at the time of formation of the water blocking layer 32, it is preferable that the silicone has fluidity to form an appropriate coating with a small coating film density. If the silicone has fluidity, the silicone permeates the pores of the cathode base material 31 and the recesses on the surface, so that the pores of the cathode base material 31 can be closed even if the coating film density is small. On the other hand, it is possible to avoid the formation of a coating film having a thickness larger than that of filling the concaves and convexes on the surface of the cathode base 31.
The silicone constituting the water-stopping layer 32 is an organopolysiloxane that changes from a fluid state to a non-fluid state through a curing reaction, and a plastic composition such as a silicone resin, and an elastic property such as a silicone rubber. Any of the compositions may be used.

  Silicone has an alkyl group, an allyl group, an aralkyl group, a hydroxy group, an alkoxy group, a carbinol group, an epoxy group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a phenol group, an alkenyl group, an acryloyl group, etc. as a side chain of the organopolysiloxane skeleton. Although it may have an arbitrary substituent, it preferably has a hydrophobic substituent such as an alkyl group, an allyl group or an aralkyl group. When the side chain is composed of a hydrophobic substituent, the contact angle with water is increased, and excellent water resistance can be obtained. Therefore, general-purpose silicones such as polydimethylsiloxane, polymethylphenylsiloxane, and polyphenylsiloxane having a methyl group or a phenyl group as a substituent can be used as the silicone. However, since the molecular gap and intermolecular force formed by the side chain affect oxygen permeability, it is preferable that the number of bulky substituents such as phenyl groups is small, and the number of carbon atoms with relatively small intermolecular force is 1 to 1. Six alkyl groups are preferable, and a methyl group is more preferable. The side chain may be substituted with a fluoro group, a fluoroalkyl group, a perfluoroalkyl group, or the like.

The silicone is preferably a modified product in which the end of the organopolysiloxane skeleton is substituted with a reactive group. Examples of the reactive group include a hydroxy group, an alkoxy group, a carbinol group, an epoxy group, an amino group, a carboxyl group, a phenol group, an alkenyl group, and an acryloyl group.
By replacing the terminal of the organopolysiloxane skeleton with a reactive group, it becomes possible to crosslink and cure between molecules. Therefore, by curing the silicone that has penetrated the pores and irregularities on the surface of the cathode base material 31, The base material 31 and the water stop layer 32 can be favorably bonded based on the anchor effect. As the silicone to be crosslinked and cured, for example, a caulking agent such as a moisture curable silicone resin “Cemedine 8060” (manufactured by Cemedine Co., Ltd.) is commercially available.

The water blocking layer 32 preferably contains a conductive substance that contributes to electronic conduction.
In general, since silicone is insulative, if the water-stopping layer 32 is formed of silicone, the surface of the cathode base 31 may be insulated with silicone, which may hinder the donation of electrons to the cathode reaction. However, a decrease in electron conductivity can be suppressed by dispersing a conductive substance that contributes to electron conduction in the water blocking layer 32.

  As the conductive substance, one or more of carbon materials such as natural graphite, artificial graphite, carbon black, and carbon fiber, metal particles such as copper, silver, nickel, or alloy materials thereof can be used. However, carbon black is preferred in that it has oxidation resistance and ease of use.

The content of the conductive material is preferably 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the constant weight of the water blocking layer.
If content of an electroconductive substance is 0.1 mass% or more, the effect | action which suppresses an electronic conductivity fall can be acquired significantly. In addition, if the content of the conductive material is 10% by mass or less, mixing with silicone is relatively easy, so the dispersibility of the conductive material and the fluidity of the silicone during formation of the water blocking layer 32 are improved. Can be secured.

The catalyst layer 33 is a layer containing a cathode reaction catalyst (cathode catalyst), and is formed by supporting the cathode catalyst on the surface of the cathode base 31.
The cathode catalyst is preferably a platinum-based catalyst such as platinum or a platinum-ruthenium alloy, but may be a non-platinum-based catalyst such as a cobalt-porphyrin complex or manganese oxide.
The catalyst layer 33 may contain a conductive material selected from the same species as in the water blocking layer 32. For example, a form in which the conductive material is contained in the catalyst layer 33 independently of the cathode catalyst, or a form in which the conductive material is contained in the catalyst layer 33 in a state where the cathode catalyst is supported can be employed. As the conductive material supporting the cathode catalyst, for example, platinum-supported carbon powder or the like is commercially available.

  The cathode 30 for a microbial fuel cell according to the present embodiment having the above-described configuration is manufactured through a process of forming a water stop layer by applying silicone on one surface of an electrode base material (cathode base material 31) serving as a cathode. The

  The cathode base 31 used for manufacturing the cathode 30 is preferably subjected to water repellent treatment in advance. The water repellent treatment by PTFE can be performed, for example, by impregnating the cathode base material 31 with a dispersion of PTFE, drying it as necessary, and then melt-bonding it with a heat treatment of about 350 ° C. to 450 ° C. it can. Note that a conductive substance may be dispersed in PTFE used for the water repellent treatment.

A catalyst layer 33 on which a cathode catalyst is supported is formed on one main surface of the cathode base material 31. The catalyst layer 33 may be formed by mixing cathode catalyst fine particles with a binder solution to form a paste, and then applying the paste onto one surface of the cathode substrate 31. After the binder solution is applied to the cathode base material 31, the catalyst layer 33 is formed by drying and removing the solvent of the binder solution. As the binder mixed with the catalyst, PTFE, Nafion, or the like can be used, but it is preferable to use Nafion having proton conductivity.
When the conductive material is contained in the catalyst layer 33 to be formed, for example, the conductive material may be mixed with the cathode catalyst and applied to the cathode base material 31, and the cathode catalyst may be supported on the conductive material. You may apply | coat to the cathode base material 31. FIG.

A water blocking layer 32 is formed on the main surface of the cathode base 31 on the surface opposite to the catalyst layer 33. The water stop layer 32 may be formed by applying silicone on one surface of the cathode base material 31 by transfer, spraying, or the like.
The silicone to be applied preferably has fluidity suitable for coating, and preferably has a viscosity of, for example, about 5 × 10 ² mPa · s to 5 × 10 ⁴ mPa · s. Therefore, if necessary, a solvent such as diethyl ether, toluene, xylene, tetrahydrofuran or the like may be added to the silicone for dilution. After the silicone having fluidity is applied to the cathode base material 31, the water blocking layer 32 is formed by curing the silicone. The form of the curing reaction may be either a condensation reaction type or an addition reaction type, and the silicone to be applied may be mixed with a curing reaction catalyst as necessary.
When the water-stopping layer 32 contains a conductive substance, the conductive substance is mixed in advance with the silicone to be applied and applied to the cathode base 31.

  The manufactured cathode 30 is assembled to, for example, a support on a frame having a window part, and is fixed so that the window part is hermetically sealed by the cathode 30, and a conductive wire with insulation coating is connected to the cathode base 31. The main surface where the water stop layer 32 is formed is in contact with the air outside the tank, and the other main surface where the catalyst layer 33 is formed is in contact with the electrolyte S held in the reaction tank 10. Then, the support body to which the cathode 30 is fixed is installed in the electrolytic cell 10 so as to face the anode 20. The installed anode 20 and cathode 30 can be connected to the external circuit 40 with a conducting wire to make the microbial fuel cell 1.

  The microbial fuel cell 1 can include an electrode in the form of a membrane electrode assembly by joining the anode 20 and the cathode 30 so as to sandwich the diaphragm. As the diaphragm, a proton exchange resin such as Nafion having a function of allowing passage of protons and prohibiting passage of electrons is preferable. Moreover, it is good also as what has the electrode made into the form of an electrode group by laminating | stacking the some anode 20 and the cathode 30 in the arrangement | positioning so that each cathode may contact the same air tank. In any form of the microbial fuel cell 1, since the leakage of the electrolytic solution S is prevented by providing the cathode 30 with the water stop layer 32 formed, continuous operation with the electrolytic solution S held is performed. Is possible.

  Examples of the present invention will be specifically described below, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereto.

  The cathode for the microbial fuel cell according to the example and the microbial fuel cell using the same were manufactured, and the water pressure resistance and the generated power density were evaluated.

[Example 1]
As Example 1, a cathode for a microbial fuel cell provided with a water-stopping layer containing silicone and a conductive material was produced by the following procedure.
As the cathode base material 31, carbon cloth “PL200N” (manufactured by Formosa Plastics Corporation) was used. This cathode base material 31 was immersed in a PTFE solution and then dried at 350 ° C. to subject the surface of the base material to water repellency, and used for the subsequent procedures.

First, the catalyst layer 33 was formed on one side of the cathode base material 31.
As the catalyst, platinum catalyst-supporting carbon “TEC10E70TPM” (manufactured by Tanaka Kikinzoku Co., Ltd.) was used. This catalyst was dispersed in a binder, applied on one side of the cathode base material 31 so that the amount of catalyst was 0.5 mg / cm ^2, and heat-treated to form a catalyst layer 33. As the binder, 5% Nafion dispersion “DE520CS” (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and polytetrafluoroethylene (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) were used.

Next, silicone was applied to the surface opposite to the catalyst layer 33 to form the water stop layer 32.
As the silicone, moisture curable silicone resin “Cemedine 8060” (manufactured by Cemedine Co., Ltd.) was used.
99% by mass of silicone and 1% by mass of a conductive substance are mixed in advance, and this is applied onto one side of the cathode base material 31 so that the coating film density is 220 g / m ^2, and the silicone is cured to stop water. Layer 32 was formed. Carbon black “EPC600JD” (manufactured by Ketjen Black International Co., Ltd.) was used as the conductive material.

[Example 2]
As Example 2, a microbial fuel cell cathode having a water stop layer containing no conductive substance was produced.
The microbial fuel cell cathode according to Example 2 was manufactured in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that a conductive substance was not used in forming the water blocking layer 32.

[Comparative Example 1]
As Comparative Example 1, a cathode for a microbial fuel cell that did not include the water blocking layer 32 was produced.
The cathode for the microbial fuel cell according to Comparative Example 1 was manufactured in the same procedure as in Example 1 except that the water stop layer 32 was not formed on the cathode base 31.

With respect to the microbial fuel cell cathodes according to Example 1, Example 2 and Comparative Example 1 manufactured by the above procedure, the water pressure resistance was measured.
First, the produced cathode was cut into a disk shape having a diameter of 70 mm, and this was installed in a cylindrical column having an inner diameter of 70 mm so as to be tightly and watertightly adhered to the inner wall. Each cathode was installed such that the catalyst layer 33 faced upward. Subsequently, 300 mL of water was poured on the upper side of the cathode 30 in the cylindrical column to seal the cylindrical column, and then compressed air was filled above the water in the cylindrical column through the gas supply port. Further, the lower side of the cathode 30 in the cylindrical column was opened under atmospheric pressure.
Under such conditions, the pressure in the column is measured while gradually increasing the pressure of the packed compressed air, and the water in the upper side of the cathode 30 passes through the cathode 30 and is discharged to the lower side. The pressure was determined as the water pressure resistance of the cathode 30.

As a result of measuring the water pressure resistance, it was confirmed that the water pressure resistance of the microbial fuel cell cathode according to Example 1 and Example 2 reached 100 kPa or more.
In contrast, the water pressure resistance of the microbial fuel cell cathode according to Comparative Example 1 was about 0.6 kPa.
Therefore, it was recognized that a microbial fuel cell cathode having excellent water resistance can be produced by forming a water-stopping layer containing silicone on one surface of the cathode base material.

Next, microbial fuel cells each comprising the manufactured microbial fuel cell cathodes according to Example 1, Example 2, and Comparative Example 1 were manufactured, and the generated power density was measured. The generated power density was obtained as an average after the operation of the microbial fuel cell was started and the output was stabilized.
As the anode 20, carbon felt “LFP-205” (manufactured by Osaka Gas Chemical Co., Ltd.) was used.
In addition, the electrolytic cell 10 has a capacity of 500 mL and has a one-tank configuration without a diaphragm, and the electrolytic cell 10 was continuously supplied with artificial wastewater containing 20 mM acetic acid and activated sludge.

As a result of measuring the generated power density, it was about 600 mW / m ² in the microbial fuel cell including the microbial fuel cell cathode according to Comparative Example 1 that does not include the water blocking layer 32.
In the microbial fuel cell including the cathode for the microbial fuel cell according to Example 2 including the water stop layer 32 made of silicone, the value was about 180 mW / m ² , which was 70% lower than that of Comparative Example 1.
On the other hand, in the microbial fuel cell including the cathode for the microbial fuel cell according to Example 1 including the water-stopping layer 32 containing silicone and a conductive substance, it is about 540 mW / m ² , which is compared with Comparative Example 1. The decrease was 10%.
Therefore, even when water resistance was imparted to the cathode, it was confirmed that the cathode reaction efficiency was improved and the power generation efficiency was recovered by containing a conductive substance in the water blocking layer 32. That is, it is possible to produce a microbial fuel cell having excellent power generation efficiency while having excellent water resistance by forming a water-stopping layer containing silicone and a conductive substance on one surface of the cathode base material. It was recognized that

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Microbial fuel cell 10 Electrolysis tank 20 Anode 30 Cathode 31 Cathode base material (electrode base material)
32 Water stop layer 33 Catalyst layer 40 External circuit S Electrolyte

Claims (11)

An electrolytic cell holding an electrolytic solution, a microorganism and a substrate for oxidative degradation by the microorganism;
An anode disposed inside the electrolytic cell;
A cathode disposed on the tank body of the electrolytic cell, one surface is in contact with air outside the cell, and the other surface is in contact with the electrolyte;
With
The microbial fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein a water-stopping layer containing silicone is formed on the one surface of the cathode that comes into contact with air.   The microbial fuel cell according to claim 1, wherein the water blocking layer contains a conductive substance.   The microbial fuel cell according to claim 2, wherein the conductive substance is carbon black.   The microbial fuel cell according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the cathode has a water resistance of 100 kPa or more. Comprising an electrode substrate having electron conductivity and gas permeability;
A cathode for a microbial fuel cell, wherein a water-stopping layer comprising silicone is formed on one surface of the electrode base material.   The microbial fuel cell cathode according to claim 5, wherein the water blocking layer contains a conductive substance.   The microbial fuel cell cathode according to claim 6, wherein the conductive substance is carbon black.   The microbial fuel cell cathode according to any one of claims 5 to 7, wherein the water resistance is 100 kPa or more.   A method for producing a cathode for a microbial fuel cell, comprising a step of applying silicone to one surface of an electrode substrate having electron conductivity and gas permeability to form a water stop layer.   The method for producing a cathode for a microbial fuel cell according to claim 9, wherein a conductive substance is mixed with the silicone.   The method for producing a cathode for a microbial fuel cell according to claim 10, wherein the conductive material is carbon black.

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