Electrolysis breakthrough could solve the hydrogen conundrum

Sept. 26, 2019
But although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it doesn't naturally occur in large quantities as a gas on Earth, writes Dr. Alexandr Simonov from Australia's Monash School of Chemistry.

MELBOURNE, Australia - Hydrogen gas is the perfect green fuel—it can be extracted from water and is non-polluting. But although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it doesn't naturally occur in large quantities as a gas on Earth. Hydrogen gas is the perfect green fuel—it can be extracted from water and is non-polluting. But although hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe, it doesn't naturally occur in large quantities as a gas on Earth. Continue reading original article

The Intelligent Aerospace take:

September 26, 2019-Hydrogen has been recognized as a renewable fuel source for a number of years now, with companies utilizing the element to drive and fly, though adoption by industry and consumers hasn't been sweeping. Hydrogen fuel cell-powered transportation may be coming to the masses though thanks to a breakthrough by a team at Australia's Monash University. By finding a replacement for pricey iridium, hydrogen gas can be created through electrolysis much cheaper than before.

"We're replacing iridium with elements that are abundant, cheap, and operate in a more stable manner," Dr. Simonov says. "We've demonstrated their stability in very strongly acidic conditions and up to 80°C, which is an industrially relevant temperature. We achieved absolutely no degradation."

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Jamie Whitney, Associate Editor
Intelligent Aerospace

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