Cabot, partners awarded US grant to advance hydrogen economy
24 Apr 2024
Study looks to develop ‘specialised carbon black’ to be used as catalyst support for fuel cells
Boston, Massachusetts – Cabot Corp. and its partners have been granted $5-million (€4.7 million) in funding by the US department of energy to advance the deployment of hydrogen fuel cells.
The project will focus on developing an “innovative and scalable” manufacturing process for producing specialised carbon black that can be used as carbon catalyst support for fuel cells.
The technology will support and accelerate the establishment of a domestic catalyst supply chain, by providing “a reliable source of high-performance carbon catalyst support”, said Cabot 18 April.
The collaborative research also involves Johnson Matthey, a manufacturer of catalysts and associated assemblies; Bosch, a fuel cell stack manufacturer and the University of California, Irvine, “a leading research university” in fuel cell technology.
According to Cabot, the transition to electric mobility is supported by fuel cells, especially in the electrification of long-distance transportation.
Currently, it said, extended driving range and management of heavier loads necessary present difficulties for the adoption of battery technology.
“This project is poised to revolutionise the production of carbon catalyst supports essential for medium and heavy-duty fuel cells,” said Cabot.
In particular, the research aims for a more sustainable and cost-effective manufacturing process.
The project seeks to achieve “high catalyst performance while optimising the production process”, which will help reduce production cost and minimise environmental impact.
