Norilsk Nickel, the world's largest supplier of palladium, together with the scientific community has created the first prototype of a palladium-containing catalyst - a nanoscale metal material for membrane-electrode blocks that are used to generate electrolytic hydrogen.
"The hydrogen energy market is still being formed, but it is already obvious that sooner or later hydrogen will occupy its technological niche, in which it will become a profitable alternative to traditional energy sources. We have a good opportunity to become one of the key players in this industry, which is now open to the launch of new innovative products - just the ones we are working on," commented Vitaly Busko, Vice President for Innovation at Norilsk Nickel.
Today, there are platinum and iridium-based catalysts on the hydrogen energy market. Norilsk Nickel is considering the possibility of increasing the efficiency of catalysts by partially replacing these metals with related palladium. Due to its extremely high chemical resistance, palladium is more effective in catalysts than other platinum group metals.
Norilsk Nickel sees prospects for the development of not only catalysts, but also other segments of hydrogen energy - technologies for membrane production of high-purity hydrogen, its storage and transportation.
For the first prototype of the catalyst, Norilsk Nickel specialists used third-party precursors. The properties of the catalyst are not inferior to commercial analogues. Norilsk Nickel plans to test prototypes on the Chinese market to weigh the prospects for commercial production.
According to the research plan, the next prototypes and the first trial precursors will be ready this year.
Hydrogen energy can become one of the ways to achieve a drastic reduction in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and solve the problem of climate change.
The concept of hydrogen energy development in Russia was approved at the government level in 2021. Among other strategic initiatives, it involves the creation and development of hydrogen industrial and technological clusters in the country, nornickel.ru notes.
Alex Shishlo for Rough&Polished
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