Heraeus Precious Metals has recently entered two partnerships aimed at advancing green hydrogen production via proton-exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis.
Mattiq
In collaboration with Mattiq (Skokie, Ill.), Heraeus Precious Metals is working to develop and commercialize advanced electrocatalyst materials for green hydrogen production. The companies will engineer low-iridium catalysts to significantly reduce the amount of this rare and critical raw material for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer manufacturing before expanding into other innovative electrochemical solutions. In their collaboration, Mattiq and Heraeus Precious Metals will shorten the traditional R&D-to-commercialization timeline, rapidly advancing low-iridium catalysts from prototype to industrial-scale solutions.
Mattiq leverages its deep expertise in nanotechnology, chemistry and artificial intelligence to rapidly synthesize, characterize and integrate novel catalysts into innovative electrochemical systems. The foundation of this partnership is Mattiq’s previously announced completion of the world’s most comprehensive study of low-iridium catalysts for PEM water electrolysis, an effort that synthesized and characterized more than one million unique catalyst materials – three orders of magnitude more than all possibilities previously evaluated. Together, the combination of cutting-edge R&D capability and world-class manufacturing will enable the two companies to radically reduce the cycle time of new innovations while delivering better results for their customers.
A catalyst coated membrane prior to integration into an electrolyzer. (Source: Mattiq)
“We look forward to growing our partnership with Heraeus, learning from their deep experience in precious metals and electrocatalysis,” said Jeff Erhardt, CEO of Mattiq. “By combining our core competence in electrochemical systems design with Heraeus’ world-class capabilities in material development and catalyst manufacturing, we can jointly accelerate the development of high-performance, low-iridium catalysts that can lower the cost of electrolyzer manufacturing, ensuring their role in decarbonizing heavy industry. We are thrilled to partner with such a respected and trusted name in this field.”
“Through its industry-leading technology platform, Mattiq has established itself as a pioneer in materials science and catalyst development,” said Philipp Walter, EVP of Hydrogen Systems and Head of Innovation Management at Heraeus Precious Metals. “This partnership will bolster our position as a leading innovator in electrocatalysis and support our efforts in accelerating the energy transition.”
Jolt Solutions
Heraeus Precious Metals has also recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Jolt Solutions (Barcelona, Spain), a company specialized in the coating of metallic catalysts for electrochemical applications. Both companies aim to optimize the use of platinum group metals (PGM) for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis utilizing Jolt’s proprietary Sparkfuze technology.
This coating technology is a faster coating method with low energy demands and is easily scalable in contrast to conventional coating technologies. It produces surfaces with high catalytic activity and high durability. Jolt Solutions already produces catalyst coated nickel substrates (electrodes) for use in alkaline water electrolysis and anion exchange membrane electrolysis.
The cost-efficient production of green hydrogen on an industrial scale is an important element towards a zero-emission society. According to the Hydrogen Council, 375 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity has been announced through 2030, 30% of which are expected to be implemented. As platinum group metals play an important role in the hydrogen economy, its sourcing, application, and recycling are pivotal for cost efficiency.
Engineers work on Jolt’s proprietary coating system (Source: Jolt Solutions)
Together, the two companies aim to explore the use of PGM-based metallic catalysts for PEM water electrolysis. Heraeus Precious Metals sees synergies between the two companies. Whilst utilizing Jolt’s patented electrode production technique to produce electrochemical products, the precious metals expert can use its specialties in PGM trading, hedging, PGM sourcing, recycling and recovery to create a valuable closed loop product offering.
Leon Rizzi, CEO of Jolt Solutions said “We welcome the interest of such a large and prestigious precious metal specialist. Heraeus’ wealth of knowledge regarding PGM chemistry along with their experience in production scaleup, production of electrochemical products and recycling technologies will help guide Jolt’s offerings to the market. We are looking forward to exploring new business opportunities together.”
Philipp Walter, Executive Vice President Business Line Hydrogen Systems said: “The proprietary coating technology of Jolt Solutions looks well differentiated from traditional coating methods. Their technology competence and ability to tackle and quickly scale development projects is a very good fit to our know-how and service portfolio around PGM applications.”