Smoltek produces hydrogen with only 0.1 mg of iridium per cm ² Smoltek Nanotech Holding AB has developed a porous transport electrode ( PTE ) that reduces the amount of iridium catalyst in PEM electrolyzers to a minimum of 0.1 mg / cm ² – the level considered necessary to make largescale production of PEM electrolyzers profitable .
The reduction represents a 95 % reduction in iridium compared to conventional PEM electrolyzers , which addresses the major challenge that the overuse of iridium poses to the hydrogen industry .
“ We are incredibly pleased that we have so quickly reached our goal of producing hydrogen with only 0.1 mg of iridium per square centimeter ,” said Ellinor Ehrnberg , President of Smoltek Hydrogen . “ We are the only ones to achieve this without compromising performance and have thereby
Industry Update
addressed one of the hydrogen industry ’ s biggest technical challenges – the limited availability of iridium , which has so far been an obstacle to large-scale manufacturing of PEM electrolyzers .”
In a durability test over 250 hours of continuous operation ( at 2 A / cm ²), Smoltek Hydrogen ’ s PTE produced hydrogen with a catalyst loading of only 0.1 mg iridium / cm ² – without any degradation to the nanostructure of the electrolyzer cell . The test results demonstrate that the company ’ s anode electrode technology is durable and efficient , while reducing iridium usage by 95 % compared to conventional technology .
DuPont™ MOLYKOTE ® HP-300 Grease meets hydrogen purity standards DuPont has announced that DuPont™ MOLYKOTE ® HP- 300 Grease has successfully met rigorous hydrogen purity standards in accordance with ISO 14687:2019 .
In collaboration with HyCentA Research GmbH , MOLYKOTE ® developed an innovative lubricant testing protocol aligned with these standards . The grease underwent several weeks of exposure to hydrogen at a pressure of 700 bar , followed by a hydrogen gas and particle contamination analysis . The results showed that MOLYKOTE ® HP-300 did not significantly contaminate hydrogen , ensuring compatibility with critical hydrogen applications such as fuel cell stacks .
Pure hydrogen can be easily contaminated by any material with which it comes into contact , including lubricants . This necessitates critical testing to ensure purity for safety and performance . For hydrogen grades used in transportation applications , certain impurities with concentrations even as low as four parts per billion have the potential to compromise the integrity of the fuel cell . This rigorous assessment supports MOLYKOTE ® HP- 300 as a potential lubricant solution for hydrogen-exposed components in applications such as seals and threaded connections , reducing contamination risk while maintaining the integrity of critical parts . The grease ’ s performance in extreme conditions helps to support the safe and reliable hydrogen storage , transportation , and use of hydrogen .
4 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 20 | February 2025