This page was translated automatically using artificial intelligence (DeepL). The German version is binding. More information about automatic translation
News Intranet
This page was translated automatically using artificial intelligence (DeepL). The German version is binding. More information about automatic translation
The road to green hydrogen is still a long and arduous one until all the challenges have been satisfactorily resolved. Green hydrogen, for example, can be produced using PEM electrolysis (the splitting of water using electricity) powered by renewable energy, and can thus be used as an energy storage medium. In this process, iridium plays a crucial role as a catalyst for the anode reaction (oxygen evolution).
Both the dissolution of metallic iridium and its electroplating from aqueous solutions have posed a challenge for decades. Owing to the niche applications and high cost of iridium as a raw material, very little has been done to address these issues compared with other platinum group metals.
Metakem GmbH, based in Usingen (Hesse), and the Surface technology/Electroplating Research Group at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, led by Professor Frank Köster, have taken on this challenge. As part of a ZIM project entitled: ‘Energy-efficient synthesis of new iridium compounds for the development of innovative iridium electrolytes for electroplating (ElgA)’, the aim is to develop new, cost-effective methods for the production of iridium compounds, which will then be used in electroplating processes. The project will run for two years, and the kick-off meeting took place in Usingen in August.