Twente University researchers discover composite of 5 metals with higher activity and stability; potential to replace iridium and platinum
Here’s a post for finding efficient electrocatalysts by Innovation News Network.
- Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a groundbreaking composite material for green hydrogen production.
- The material, a compound containing five different transition metals, outperforms individual compounds by up to 680 times in terms of activity.
- The composite material does not rely on rare and expensive metals like platinum and iridium
This breakthrough can affect the green hydrogen market in several ways. But in order to bring it up to the industrial level, certain challenges must be overcome.
The challenges in bringing the new catalyst to the industrial level include:
- Physicochemical Properties Variations: Critical catalyst properties like surface area and porosity can vary significantly when scaling up from the lab to industrial production, which can affect performance and necessitate recalibrations.
- Heat and Mass Transfer Issues: Problems like hotspots, flow inconsistencies, and mixing challenges can arise at an industrial scale due to differences in transport phenomena compared to the lab scale.
- Economic Concerns: As production scales up, costs can balloon, especially if the efficiencies witnessed at a smaller scale cannot be maintained. Large-scale operations also require significant investments in equipment and infrastructure.
- Safety and Environmental Considerations: Handling large quantities of materials presents its own set of risks, and industrial-scale operations come with the responsibility of managing waste and emissions more effectively.
- Reproducibility of Results: Ensuring that the catalyst behaves the same way it did in the lab is crucial. Any number of variables introduced during scaling can influence outcomes, sometimes unpredictably.
- Design and Integration: The catalyst must be designed and integrated into the industrial process in a way that ensures optimal performance and efficiency. This can be a complex task, especially if the catalyst is new or has unique properties.
- Scalability and Replicability: The catalyst must be scalable and replicable across different production facilities and environments. This requires careful consideration of factors like material properties, manufacturing processes, and environmental conditions.
- Feasibility and Recyclability: The catalyst must be feasible to manufacture and recycle, considering factors like cost, energy consumption, and environmental impact. This is particularly important for sustainable and green technologies.
Addressing these challenges will be crucial in successfully scaling up the new catalyst for industrial applications.
Our specialty focus areas include 
Interestingly, we have some other posts related to this content:
Efficient Hydrogen Production With Solar Reactor By EPFL: Achieves 20%+ Efficiency: EPFL’s new solar reactor, operational under real sunlight, maintains efficiencies above 20%, promising commercialization soon. Iridium Catalysts – for Efficient Green Hydrogen Production: Iridium catalysts offer efficiency in hydrogen production but face cost challenges. Research explores strategies like defect engineering for wider adoption. Efficient Electrolysers for Hydrogen Production: Johnson Matthey and Hystar to Develop: Partnership aims to tackle hydrogen production challenges with game-changing electrolysers, offering efficiency and affordability for future applications.
