Assembling the flow cell from components
- Mechanical assembly
Ensure you have the following components:
Parts
- 1 50 mm C-clamp - Also known as G-clamp, 2-inch varieties should work
- 1 cell assembly tool
- 2 cut electrodes
- 1 cut membrane
- 1 endplate with holes
- 1 endplate with pins
- 2 flow frames with tubing and adapters
- 2 grafoil current collectors
- 2 inner gaskets
- 2 outer current collectors with banana connector
- 2 outer gaskets
Refer to the following diagram for the cell assembly process.
Step 1: Place the endplate on the cell assembly tool
Take the cell assembly tool and place the endplate with pins with the pins pointing upwards.
Step 2: Add the brass current collector
Make sure the large tubing holes of the outer current collector with banana connector align with the endplate.
Step 3: Add the negative grafoil current collector
Make sure the large tubing holes of the grafoil current collector align with the brass current collector.
Step 4: Add the negative outer gasket
Place one outer gasket on top of the assembly, using the bolts to guide the gasket and align it with the fluid holes in the cell body.
Step 5: Add the negative flow frame
Place one flow frame with tubing and adapters on top of the assembly, with the barbs and tubing facing downward into the cell assembly tool.
Help Block
The total combined thickess of the flow frames and (compressed) gaskets is key to achieving the desired results! The graphite felt should be compressed to 70% of it's original thickness. The compression is fixed by the combined total thickness of the flow frame and two gaskets.
Step 6: Add the negative graphite felt
Place one graphite felt on top of the assembly.
Step 7: Add the negative inner gasket
Take one inner gasket and add it to the assembly.
Step 8: Add the membranes
Take the cut membrane and add it to the assembly (you may be using multiple layers of a single material here depending on your experiment).
Step 9: Add the positive inner gasket
Take one inner gasket and add it to the assembly.
Step 10: Add the positive flow frame
Place one flow frame with tubing and adapters on top of the assembly.
Step 11: Add positive outer gasket
Place one outer gasket on top of the assembly.
Step 12: Add positive graphite felt
Place one graphite felt on top of the assembly.
Step 13: Add the positive grafoil current collector
Place the positive grafoil current collector over the flow frame.
Step 14: Add the positive brass current collector
Place the positive outer current collector with banana connector on the cell as shown so the tab is facing opposite the negative current collector tab, but on the same side of the cell.
Step 15: Add the positive endplate
Place the endplate with holes on top of the assembly.
Step 16: Tighten with C-clamp
Remove the cell carefully from the Cell Assembly Tool. It should now look like this:
Now, take a 50 mm C-clamp, place it on the cell as shown below, and tighten it to seal the cell.
Now you have an assembled flow cell!