Performance Analysis of Additive Manufacturing of Electrodes via Selective Laser Sintering for Green Hydrogen Production

Standard electrodes have limitations in design flexibility, production time, cost, material waste, and customization. Additive manufacturing overcomes these barriers, offering an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly approach to manufacturing electrochemical components. This study explores the usability of selective laser sintering for producing electrodes for green hydrogen production, focusing on emergency applications and prototype development. A honeycomb-structured metal cathode for alkaline electrolysis is 3D-printed and tested for tensile strength. Electrochemical methods, including cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry, and chronoamperometry, evaluate its catalytic performance against graphite and platinum electrodes. For a 30-minute electrolysis period, the volume of hydrogen gas values for selective laser sintering manufactured cathode electrodes @ 2.4, 2.7, and 3 V are 10.5, 19.75, and 28.5 mL, respectively. Results show superior performance compared to literature. Additionally, wind turbine models (NACA12, NACA15, NACA18) are analyzed for hydrogen production efficiency, with NACA12 proving most effective at moderate to high wind speeds.