Future terawatt-scale deployment of flow batteries will require substantial capital cost reduction, particularly low-cost electrolytes and hydrocarbon ion exchange membranes. However, integration of hydrocarbon membranes with novel flow battery chemistries in commercial-scale stacks is yet to be demonstrated. Here, we report the pilot-scale synthesis and roll-to-roll manufacturing of sulfonated poly(ether ether ketone) (SPEEK) membranes and demonstrate their high hydroxide conductivity and chemical stability in kW-scale alkaline-based flow batteries. The membrane was integrated in flow battery stacks with power up to 4,000 W, which demonstrated a high energy efficiency of 85.5% operated at 80 mA cm⁻² and long-term stable operation over 800 h as well as substantial cost savings relative to Nafion membranes. This work illustrates a potential pathway for manufacturing and upscaling of next-generation cost-effective flow batteries based on low-cost hydrocarbon membranes developed in the past decades to translate to large-scale applications for grid energy storage.

未来太瓦级的液流电池部署将需要大幅降低资本成本，特别是低成本的电解质和碳氢化合物离子交换膜。然而，碳氢化合物膜与新型液流电池化学在商业规模电池堆中的集成尚未得到证实。在这里，我们报告了磺化聚醚醚酮 (SPEEK) 膜的中试规模合成和卷对卷制造，并展示了它们在千瓦级碱性液流电池中的高氢氧化物电导率和化学稳定性。^{该膜集成在功率高达 4,000 W 的液流电池堆中，在 80 mA cm -2}下运行时表现出 85.5% 的高能效和超过 800 小时的长期稳定运行以及相对于 Nafion 膜的大量成本节约。这项工作说明了制造和升级基于过去几十年开发的低成本碳氢化合物膜的下一代具有成本效益的液流电池的潜在途径，以转化为电网储能的大规模应用。