By VSParticle
VSParticle has reached an important milestone within its contribution to the CLEANHYPRO initiative. As a consortium partner, its role is developing a pilot line for the high-output, low-cost and sustainable production of nanoporous iridium catalyst layers for green hydrogen production. VSParticle reports that it has successfully upgraded its pilot line according to the standards that were targeted for the project's phase one. The recent achievement consists of an increase in catalyst layer production rate by more than a factor 20 combined with several efficiency improvements. The upgrade consists of the following improvements in the pilot line developed by VSParticle: - Increased nanoparticle output through the development and integration of a next-generation nanoparticle generator. - Increased nanoparticle utilization through the optimization of the flow path from the nanoparticle generator to the substrate. - Increased recovery of iridium from non-utilized nanoparticles through introduction of new filters and cleaning procedures. - Reduced consumption of carrier gas through incorporating a gas recycling facility into the printing system. These upgrades make the fabrication of iridium nanoporous layers more scalable, cost-efficient, and environmentally friendly. This marks an important step towards a viable green hydrogen economy. Nanoporous layers produced by VSParticle's printing technology have a high surface-area-to-volume ratio, which enables a reduction in iridium loading without compromising catalytic performance. VSParticle now enters the validation stage of their goals within CLEANHYPRO, in which the nanoporous iridium layers are characterized and their performance in green hydrogen production is demonstrated. Moreover, the improved recovery rate of iridium waste from the pilot line opens up opportunities for more efficient iridium recycling.
