Substituição de platina como catalisador em células de combustível através da conceção inovadora de membranas com char proveniente de reciclagem

The tangible objectives of project CATCH can be resumed as follows: to transform char into a graphite-based catalyst and to produce a char-membrane with this one, which will replace platinum in ORR cells. The project will provide outcomes on the feasibility to transform recycled char into graphite-based ORR catalyst. Particularly, it will provide detailed information on recycled char ability to graphitize using inorganic catalysts that enhance catalytic performance, which will be vital to guide further technological research focused on industrial application. Char recovery from ash, using the appropriate methods/technical solutions explored under the project, may require less time and resources and be more efficient than exploring natural resources representing a breakthrough to stakeholders. Furthermore, the know-how that will be created can be used to revisit and reclaim historic ash dumps. The production of char-based catalysts for sustainable energy applications substituting strategic raw materials for EU will decrease their demand and reduce EU reliance on imports. Furthermore, use large amounts of ash produced annually (usually landfilled) to recover char will secure a sustainable supply of ORR catalysts precursors, reduce landfilling, and contribute to sustainable waste management within EU. It will also aid decrease exploration of natural resources (enhance sustainability) and avoid environmental issues related with mining. Designing Pt-free products - The development of novel functional materials and effective green catalytic systems are the key to successfully implement more reliable technologies. The preparation of new materials must be simple, flexible, scalable, and cost-effective. Project CATCH addresses these challenges by delivering a new set of materials obtained from available secondary raw materials (char from coal fly ash). There is also a dire need for efficient and clean technologies with improved mass, maximum conversion rates, energy efficiency and scalability. To overcome these problems project CATCH proposes the design and use of innovative char-membranes that will be further applied in electrochemical cell for ORR. This objective is fully in line with a product design for resource efficiency, including substitution of primary raw materials, which in this case is Pt. The proof-of-concept stage of using recovered char as electrocatalysts is concluded and their use instead of platinum is a core objective of this project since coal fly ash is a relevant material with very high mass flows from which char is easily recovered, and this material has the potential to reduce the use of platinum as electrocatalyst. Thus, this objective is fully in line with a circular economy by recovering materials from wastes.