The companies will first target low-iridium catalysts to reduce costs and alleviate supply constraints
A catalyst coated membrane prior to integration into an electrolyzer. (Source: Mattiq)
Mattiq, the clean chemistry company, announced a strategic partnership with Heraeus Precious Metals, a global leader in the precious metals industry, to develop and commercialize advanced electrocatalyst materials for green hydrogen production.
The companies will engineer low-iridium catalysts to significantly reduce the amount of this rare and critical raw material for proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolyzer manufacturing before expanding into other innovative electrochemical solutions.
Iridium is indispensable for the green energy transition, as PEM water electrolysis, one of the most promising technologies for producing zero-carbon (green) hydrogen, depends on its availability. Iridium is one of Earth’s rarest naturally occurring elements, making the efficient use of this critical resource a requirement to serve increasing demand for hydrogen production and other applications. With current iridium loading requirements, PEM electrolyzers will be limited in scale of annual deployment. Solutions are therefore needed to reduce iridium content in electrocatalysts without sacrificing performance.
In their collaboration, Mattiq and Heraeus Precious Metals will shorten the traditional R&D-to-commercialization timeline, rapidly advancing low-iridium catalysts from prototype to industrial-scale solutions.
“We look forward to growing our partnership with Heraeus, learning from their deep experience in precious metals and electrocatalysis,” said Jeff Erhardt, CEO of Mattiq. “By combining our core competence in electrochemical systems design with Heraeus’ world-class capabilities in material development and catalyst manufacturing, we can jointly accelerate the development of high-performance, low-iridium catalysts that can lower the cost of electrolyzer manufacturing, ensuring their role in decarbonizing heavy industry. We are thrilled to partner with such a respected and trusted name in this field.”
“Through its industry-leading technology platform, Mattiq has established itself as a pioneer in materials science and catalyst development,” said Philipp Walter, EVP of Hydrogen Systems and Head of Innovation Management at Heraeus Precious Metals. “This partnership will bolster our position as a leading innovator in electrocatalysis and support our efforts in accelerating the energy transition.”
This partnership builds on the ongoing collaboration between Mattiq and Heraeus, first announced in 2023 when Mattiq verified the performance of a new ruthenium-based catalyst for PEM water electrolysis. The companies intend to expand their partnership into novel applications in electrocatalysis to accelerate the economically viable decarbonization of the chemical industry.
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