[ recycling ]
Is recycling a shortcut for hydrogen technologies ?
The first recorded instance of recycling can be dated to nearly 1,000 years ago , with ancient cultures using recycling even much earlier – mainly due to lack of resources and lengthy manufacturing processes . Nowadays , the same arguments apply , plus additional urgent considerations on the environment . Recycling is crucial for polymer fuel cells and electrolyzers , which are key elements in the hydrogen economy .
By Shuang Ma Andersen , Principal Investigator , University of Southern Denmark
Platinum group metals ( PGMs )
The platinum group metals or PGMs are a cluster of six transition metals on the periodic table ( Figure 1 ). They are noble and precious metals with chemical and physical properties similar to those of platinum and occurring in the same ore deposits . The PGMs are among the rarest elements in the Earth ’ s crust , 1 with over 88 % of world reserves located in Southern Africa and
Russia . They are durable , highly valuable and classified as Critical Raw Material ( CRM ) by the EU . 2 They play a vital role in modern industry , with a dominating market demand ( 71.2 %) from autocatalysts . 3
PGMs in renewable energy
As the central component of proton exchange membrane ( PEM ) fuel cells ( FCs ) and electrolyzer cells ( ECs ), PGM nanoparticles
Fig . 1 . Abundance of elements including platinum group metals ( PGMs ) in Earth ’ s upper continental crust
28 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 7 | December 2022