Call for Proposals: Simultaneous Ionomer and Iridium Recycling

Scope

• This topic aims at simultaneously recycling Ir and ionomers after catalyst-coated membrane (CCM) separation from the PEMWE stack at the EoL and/or from scraps and waste. The novelty and contribution of this topic is to understand the impact of the separation process of the waste stream on the ionomer and PGMs (possible impurities, degradation of the polymer’s molecular structure, change in physical/chemical properties, performance, etc.). This fundamental understanding of material degradation is crucial for optimising their quality before their re-use in PEMWE cells to ensure sustainable circularity. Recycling efforts are also being pursued in projects, such as SUSTAINCELL and BEST4Hy. The critical difference is that the BEST4Hy project targets fuel cell technologies and platinum only, while this topic focuses on PEMWE technology, specifically addressing the recycling of Ir and the ionomer. Further, the project funded by this call can contribute to and be complemented by EU-funded projects on sustainable hydrogen production, such as CLEANHYPRO and H2SHIFT. CLEANHYPRO could facilitate (partial) testing within the scope of the open innovation test bed whereas H2SHIFT could complement in the need of a techno-economic analysis.
• The scope of the project should include:
  • Development of new measurement technologies for characterising the degradation state of ionomer in both the PEM and the electrocatalytic layers;
  • Assessment of physical-chemical properties of membranes from recycled ionomer and mesoscale morphology;
  • Development of new methods to separate the ionomer;
  • Manufacturing of CCMs with Ir and recycled ionomer from production waste, and assessment of their beginning-of-life performance and durability via accelerated stress tests (ASTs) in PEM water electrolysis single cell or short stacks (>1000 hrs cell test and comparison to a short stack comprising of a virgin ionomer membrane);
  • Evaluation and demonstration of the feasibility of the developed recycling processes through techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment;
  • Evaluation of the possibility of mixing different ionomers (e.g., recycled ionomer with virgin ionomer, different chemistries, etc.) for their application in catalyst layers, membranes, and alternative applications;
  • Manufacturing and testing of membranes from a blend of fluoropolymers from different sources in PEMWE cells, focusing on hydrogen gas crossover, performance and tolerance to accelerated ageing;
  • Evaluation of the performance of recycled ionomer in a laboratory scale environment (e.g., 0.5-10 grams of ionomer); in-situ cell testing and ex-situ testing (scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile testing, swelling behaviour in water, equivalent weight (EW), study of the electrical response) compared to virgin ionomer;
  • Evaluation of the quality of production waste and EoL ionomer batches (e.g., 50-500 g) by:
    • Using the recycled ionomer in the catalyst layer and membrane of PEMWE cells;
    • Analysing of ionomer performance both ex-situ and in cells with accelerated stress testing;
    • Developing new measuring methods for determining ionomer degradation state;
    • Enable short stack testing for at least 1000 h comprising of the recycled ionomer.
  • Verifying the purity of the recycled Ir in collaboration with industrial partners. A purity for Ir of ≥99.9% should be achieved;
  • Verifying the quality and performance of recycled iridium from new recycling methods
  • Assessing alternative applications of the recycled ionomer;
  • Development of pre-processing guidelines for the input materials (granulation, extraction, homogenisation etc.) to reduce the recycling time and enhance efficiency;
  • Providing advice on stack design considerations to improve the recyclability of ionomer by allowing better separation of CCMs from the stack and ionomer from the CCM;
  • Industrial methods for making membranes and CCMs of the EoL ionomer with the ability to run short stack testing.

Objectives

• Project results are expected to contribute to the following objectives:
  • Analyse the effectiveness and efficiency of Ir recycling technologies with respect to costs and environment;
  • Minimum purity thresholds for recycled ionomer that will be used in electrochemical, hydrogen-related applications: >99,5%. Bivalent Metal Ions (Fenton-metals) impurities < 15 ppm and other impurities < 500 ppm;
  • Performance and durability of a membrane produced from mixed sources to be comparable to a state-of-the-art reference assessed within PEMWE applications;
  • Delivery of viable test methods to assess the degradation state of end-of-life materials;
  • Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) of both (Ir, ionomer) recycling routes.

Expected Outcomes

• Project results are expected to contribute to the following outcomes:
  • Contributing to the EU’s net-zero strategy by providing technological guidelines for recycling Ir and the PFSA ionomer;
  • Demonstrating the ability to alleviate potential Critical Raw Material (CRM) shortages and increased supply chain resilience for PEMWE manufacturing in the EU;
  • Developing standardised test method(s) for evaluating EoL PFSA ionomer and Ir.

Eligibility Criteria

• Entities eligible to participate:
  • Any legal entity, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal entities from non associated third countries or international organisations (including international European research organisations) is eligible to participate (whether it is eligible for funding or not), provided that the conditions laid down in the Horizon Europe Regulation have been met, along with any other conditions laid down in the specific call/topic.
  • A ‘legal entity’ means any natural or legal person created and recognised as such under national law, EU law or international law, which has legal personality and which may, acting in its own name, exercise rights and be subject to obligations, or an entity without legal personality.
• To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the following countries:
  • The Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions:
    • Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

For more information, visit EC.