Smoltek’s groundbreaking iridium solution for green hydrogen verified by leading expert
This press release is an English version of the previously published Swedish version, which has interpretive precedence.
Smoltek Nanotech Holding AB (publ) (“Smoltek” or “the Company”) announces that its subsidiary Smoltek Hydrogen has published a filmed interview with Dr. Felix Büchi, a leading expert in PEM electrolyzers. The interview is about Dr. Büchi’s evaluation of Smoltek Hydrogen’s iridium solution. In the interview, Dr. Büchi confirms that the company’s technology for porous transport electrodes (PTE) in PEM electrolyzers is groundbreaking, as it requires significantly less iridium to achieve the same performance as conventional electrolyzers in hydrogen production.
Dr. Felix Büchi, a leading expert in PEM electrolyzer technology, emphasizes that Smoltek’s porous transport electrode (PTE) solution represents a breakthrough in electrode design for electrolyzers. In an interview with Smoltek Hydrogen’s President, Ellinor Ehrnberg, he shares insights into the technology’s groundbreaking benefits and market potential.
“The unique thing about Smoltek's technology is that it enables the same performance as competing technologies, but with a much smaller amount of iridium on the electrode. Smoltek's PTE uses only 0.1–0.2 mg of iridium per square centimeter without compromising performance,” says Dr. Felix Büchi.
For electrolyzer manufacturers, reducing the use of iridium represents a significant opportunity to reduce costs and address supply constraints. Felix Büchi attests that Smoltek Hydrogen’s technology matches industry standards for performance while minimizing the need for precious metals, making it an attractive solution for commercial implementation.
By reducing the amount of iridium by up to 95 percent compared to conventional technology, Smoltek Hydrogen addresses the critical challenge of the severely limited global supply of iridium, which only amounts to about 7 tons per year. A reduced consumption of iridium is a prerequisite for the technology in PEM electrolyzers to be able to be scaled up to the extent required to produce fossil-free (green) hydrogen in the amount required by the carbon-neutral energy transition. In addition, costs are significantly reduced, as the price of iridium already far exceeds the price of gold.
Smoltek's groundbreaking iridium solution
Smoltek Hydrogen has developed a unique method to grow carbon nanofibers directly onto the porous titanium substrate (PTL), dramatically increasing the catalytic surface area of the electrode. Iridium particles are then deposited in a thin layer onto the corrosion-protected carbon nanofibers. This enables the efficient use of iridium catalysts, even with minimal coating, providing high performance while significantly reducing iridium usage.
“What makes Smoltek Hydrogen's solution unique is that, using their nanostructure, they create a large surface area on the electrically conductive titanium substrate, which ensures that essentially all of the iridium is in electrical contact”, says Felix Büchi.
“By using a technology that so radically reduces the use of iridium, we are addressing the central problem that the entire hydrogen industry is concerned about. Dr. Büchi’s evaluation not only confirms that our technology works, but that it is also a key to cost-effective production of green hydrogen that can revolutionize the industry,” says Ellinor Ehrnberg, President of Smoltek Hydrogen.
About Dr. Felix Büchi
Dr. Felix Büchi is an internationally leading researcher in PEM electrolyzers, with over 20 years of experience in electrolyzer technology at the Paul Scherrer Institute in Switzerland and around 50 scientific articles on PEM technology.
An article about the interview with Dr. Felix Büchi is available on Smoltek's IR blog.
The interview can also be viewed on Smoltek's website: Smoltek's PTE technology stands out.
For further information:
Ellinor Ehrnberg, President Smoltek Hydrogen AB
Email: ellinor.ehrnberg@smoltek.com
Telephone: +46 317 01 03 05
Website: www.smoltek.com/investors
Smoltek develops new products with disruptive performance, based on nanotechnology, which solve advanced material engineering challenges in several industrial sectors. Today, the company operates in two business areas: semiconductors and hydrogen. Smoltek protects its unique carbon nanotechnology through an extensive patent portfolio consisting of more than 110 applied for patents, of which 92 are currently granted. The company's share is listed on the Spotlight Stock Market under the short name SMOL. Smoltek is a development company and forward-looking statements regarding time to market, production volume and price levels are to be interpreted as forecasts and not commitments.
