Heraeus in electrolyser alliances

Heraeus Precious Metals has concluded two alliances in iridium-based catalysts for proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysers for green hydrogen production. These comprise a strategic collaboration with its German compatriot Smoltek Hydrogen, a carbon nanotechnology specialist, and a potentially wider alliance with US-based ‘clean chemistry’ company Mattiq. 

Heraeus and Smoltek will combine work together to reduce amount of platinum and iridium needed to coat the porous transport electrodes (PTEs). This is the layer that carries water, hydrogen and oxygen from and to the PEM. In the novel concept, it functions as both the electrode and the catalytic carrier. Smoltek has already achieved a 0.1 mg/cm2 iridium loading in PEM electrolysers and the two companies expect to further reduce it further still, for instance by applying Heraeus’ ruthenium-iridium catalyst on Smoltek Hydrogen’s nanostructured PTE.  

Heraeus and Mattiq have already been collaborating since 2023 when Mattiq verified the performance of a new ruthenium-based catalyst for PEM water electrolysis. They will now seek to low-iridium electrocatalyst materials for zero-carbon green hydrogen production, starting with PEM water electrolysers.  

Mattiq has recently completed what it called the world’s most comprehensive study of low-iridium catalysts for PEM water electrolysis, in which it synthesised and characterised which over one million unique catalyst materials using nanotechnology, chemistry, and artificial intelligence.