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Study uses platinum-based quaternary alloy catalyst to cut green hydrogen costs

Researchers are testing electrolytic reforming of ethanol with a platinum-based quaternary alloy catalyst to lower the cost of producing green hydrogen.

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Study uses platinum-based quaternary alloy catalyst to cut green hydrogen costs
写真はイメージ / 写真: D.S. Soriano / CC BY 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons ライセンス

Researchers have presented a study on extracting hydrogen from ethanol through electrolytic reforming, using a platinum-based quaternary alloy as the catalyst. The work explores whether producing hydrogen from ethanol could reduce the cost of green hydrogen.

Hydrogen is used in fuel cells and as an industrial feedstock, but its emissions vary widely depending on how it is produced. Hydrogen made by splitting water with electricity from renewable sources is called green hydrogen and has drawn attention as a way to cut carbon emissions.

Electrolytic reforming is a method that uses electrochemical reactions to extract hydrogen from organic compounds. Research is continuing because it may produce hydrogen with less electricity than water electrolysis.

Ethanol can be made from plant-based feedstocks such as sugarcane and corn, and it is a liquid at room temperature, which makes it easy to handle. It is considered easier to transport and store than hydrogen itself, and its use as a hydrogen carrier has also been studied.

Platinum and other precious metals are often used as electrode catalysts. While they speed up reactions, they are expensive, so reducing the amount used and improving performance by combining multiple metals have been key challenges.

A quaternary alloy is an alloy made by combining four types of metals. Researchers are studying it as a way to improve catalyst performance because combining several metals can adjust reactivity and durability.

Improving catalyst performance directly affects hydrogen production efficiency and equipment costs. If precious metal use can be reduced while maintaining reactions, the economics of electrolyzers could improve, helping to lower the price of green hydrogen.

However, whether a catalyst developed in the lab can operate stably for long periods in actual equipment requires separate verification. Durability in production settings and the cost of procuring ethanol as a feedstock will also determine whether the technology can be commercialized.

Going forward, the focus will be on evaluating catalyst performance under conditions close to actual operation. Data is needed to compare the overall cost and emissions from production to use and determine which production routes are most advantageous.

BLUE NOVA Hydrogen Journal view

Hydrogen is expected to play a role as a decarbonizing energy source, but high production costs have been a major barrier to its spread. This study is significant because it seeks to balance performance and cost by tailoring catalyst composition in ethanol-based electrolytic reforming. Expanding production routes beyond water electrolysis would give producers more options depending on feedstock and electricity conditions. BLUE NOVA will be watching whether lab-scale performance can withstand real-world equipment durability and feedstock supply conditions.

Source: Bioengineer.org
This article was written by the editors based on the cited report and translated from Japanese. AI is used to assist in writing and translation.

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