Recycling process could help reduce the cost of hydrogen fuel cells

January 16, 2015 0 By Erin Kilgore

New project aims to recover expensive materials from old fuel cell systems

A new project from Axion Consulting, Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells, and Technical Fibre Productions, aims to make use of an innovative recycling process that will be able to recover high-value materials from hydrogen fuel cells. Fuel cells are notoriously expensive because of their use of expensive materials, such as platinum, which allow them to function as they do. Being able to recover these materials from old fuel cells could help reduce the cost of fuel cell manufacture.

Recycling process could establish a new business in the UK, boosting economic growth

The collaborative project is being funded by Innovate UK, the United Kingdom’s innovation agency. The project, called Recover, is meant to establish the technical and economic viability of recovering expensive materials from fuel cells and use these materials in the manufacture of new hydrogen fuel cells. The project may also establish a new recycling business in the United Kingdom, which could turn into a global endeavor that would boost the economic growth of the country.

More research is needed for the recycling process to be considered efficient

cutting hydrogen fuel cells costThe recycling process, in its initial form, experienced some setbacks, especially in terms of efficiency. More research is being done to improve the process, with Technical Fibre Productions leading research into the recovery of carbon fiber materials and Johnson Matthey Fuel Cells leading the use of these materials in the production of new fuel cell systems. If further research is successful, the recycling process will become efficient enough to be considered viable for the manufacture of new fuel cell systems in the United Kingdom.

Reducing the cost of fuel cells is becoming a priority

Reducing the cost of hydrogen fuel cells has become a major priority for the clean technology and energy space. Fuel cells have become particularly popular in the auto industry, where they are being used to power a new generation of zero-emission vehicles. These energy systems are also gaining some momentum in the residential sector, where they can be used to produce electricity and heat water.

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