Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a method to stabilize iron catalysts for hydrogen fuel cells, a technical development intended to reduce the manufacturing cost of fuel-cell vehicles.
Currently, a fuel-cell vehicle costs approximately $70,000, whereas a comparable gasoline-powered vehicle costs about $30,000. Platinum catalysts represent about 45% of the total cost of a fuel cell stack.
Because platinum is a precious metal, its price typically increases as demand for fuel-cell power systems grows, preventing the technology from benefiting from traditional economies of scale.
Utilizing iron as a substitute could make hydrogen-powered transportation more cost-competitive with battery-electric and internal combustion engines.
Data from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute indicates that fuel cells extract more than 60% of their fuel’s energy, whereas internal combustion engines recover less than 20% of the energy in gasoline.
Stabilizing iron for a lower-cost alternative
“That efficiency can reach 85% when the heat a fuel cell generates is also harnessed for electricity,” said the researchers in a press release.
By stabilizing iron for use in these systems, the research team, led by Gang Wu, a professor at the McKelvey School of Engineering, aim to provide a lower-cost alternative for sectors that require high energy density and centralized refueling.
“Hydrogen fuel cells work to generate electricity with zero emissions via hydrogen and oxygen, two constituent parts of water,” added the press release. This reaction requires a catalyst to function.
While platinum is the standard catalyst material due to its effectiveness and chemical stability, its rarity creates a financial barrier to mass production.
Iron is an alternative due to its abundance and low cost, but it has historically lacked the stability required to function within the acidic environment of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).
“Wu and his team did so by creating a chemical vapor of gases that can stabilize the iron catalysts during thermal activation, an innovative approach to significantly improve catalyst stability while maintaining adequate activity in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs),” added the press release.
Simplifying the logistical requirements
The research focused on PEMFCs because they are suitable for heavy-duty vehicles, including transport trucks, buses, and construction equipment.
These vehicle types often operate from centralized locations, which simplifies the logistical requirements for hydrogen refueling.
Unlike passenger electric vehicles that can be charged using residential electricity, hydrogen vehicles require specialized refueling stations.
By implementing the technology in heavy-duty fleets that already use central stations, the infrastructure requirements are more manageable as the technology scales.
“Wu and his team outlined how they stabilize iron catalysts for use in the fuel cell, which would lower costs for fuel-cell vehicles and other niche applications such as low-altitude aviation and artificial intelligence data centers,” concluded the press release.
These sectors require consistent power supplies and benefit from the high energy density of hydrogen systems.
Refining the stabilization process
Professor Wu stated that the next steps involve refining the stabilization process to improve catalyst performance.
The objective of the ongoing research is to produce iron-based catalysts that match the performance characteristics of precious metals.
This transition away from platinum is viewed as a necessary step for the broader adoption of hydrogen as a clean energy source in the manufacturing and transport sectors.
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