Platinum-free fuel cells will be arriving soon and cost much less

(Note: To learn more about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and their potential to solve the oil crisis, please read the series of articles titled “Twelve Hydrogen Facts” which is part of the Hydrogen Manhattan Project.)

The major cost issue with fuel cells is when expensive platinum is used as a catalyst.  However, this will not be a problem for much longer, because platinum-free fuel cells will be arriving soon.  They will drastically reduce the cost of fuel cells.

One can only imagine how much progress has been made on platinum-free fuel cells from car companies that are keeping their breakthroughs a secret.  But here are excerpts from two articles that provide examples of platinum-free fuel cell activity that have been publicized:

1.  “Nisshinbo Creates Platinum-Free Carbon Catalyst For Fuel Cells” from July 12, 2008

“TOKYO (Nikkei)–Nisshinbo Industries Inc. has worked with the Tokyo Institute of Technology to develop the technology to use carbon instead of expensive platinum as the electrode catalyst for fuel cells.

The company hopes to have a practical version of the new catalyst ready in fiscal 2009, and will start by commercializing a product for the electrodes of residential fuel cells. Later, it will develop and commercialize a version for automotive fuel cells.”

“The carbon catalyst promises to remove this cost barrier, which along with the needed infrastructure for hydrogen filling stations is a major roadblock to the adoption of fuel cells for homes and cars.

The new catalyst is made from nanospheres of carbon. For practical purposes as a fuel cell catalyst, 10 times more carbon is required than platinum; but even in this larger volume, the cost is just a 10th that of using platinum.”

2.  “New Fuel Cell Design Removes Platinum, Adds Gore-Tex” from August 7, 2008

“A material most know for making waterproof and breathable outdoor gear is being used to change how fuel cells run.

Scientists at Monash University (Australia) have developed a way to replace some platinum in fuel cells by integrating Gore-Tex material in the fuel cell design.

The Monash team developed an air electrode (the part of the fuel cell that oxygen is fed to) made up of a fine layer of conductive plastic attached to Gore-Tex fabric.

The Gore-Tex material lets oxygen pass into the fuel cell and in contact with the conductive plastic, which acts as an electrode and catalyst. The fuel cell has been tested for periods of up to 1,500 hours, using oxygen and hydrogen to provide power.”

“‘The important point to stress is that the team has come up with an alternative fuel cell design that is more economical, more easily sourced, outlasts platinum cells and is just as effective,’ MacFarlane said.

The hydrogen side of the fuel cell, though, still needs platinum. ‘However, the way the conducting polymer works as catalyst make us believe that it should be possible to design a conducting polymer that suits the hydrogen oxidation reaction,’ said Monash’s Dr. Bjørn Winther-Jensen.”