FC Renew has discovered a novel process to remove and recover platinum group metals (PGMs) from assembled end-of-life fuel cells that can be performed at room temperature that does not leach PFSA into the environment to obtain a high-yield recovery of platinum unlike conventional pyrolysis recycling methods that require costly labor to dissemble the cells and leach PFSA into the environment upon pyrolysis. While the transportation industry has been seeking innovations to transition to sustainable solutions such as zero-emission, green hydrogen fuel cell technology, the broad adoption of hydrogen-powered vehicles is limited by the short lifespan of degrading fuel cell electrocatalysts that operate for up to ~5,000 hours (150,000 miles) and the high cost of components. As one of the most expensive precious metals, the platinum typically used as the electrocatalyst for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) transportation applications contributes to about 60% of the total fuel cell cost when produced at scale as projected by the Department of Energy (DOE). The current state of the art in fuel cell recycling begins with disassembly of the fuel cell stack. This involved removing the GDL from the catalyst layer and membrane, a labor-intensive process that leads to loss of recoverable platinum. Hydromettalurgic methods rely on leaching the Pt from the carbon support using concentrated acids and oxidizing agents such as HNO3 and H2O2. These methods use significant amounts of solvent. Pyromettalurgic methods release HF gas as a result of fluorinated ionomer, and if carried out without separating the membrane from the MEA, destroys the membrane. FC Renew is developing a process that allows for the recovery of platinum without disassembly, avoiding Pt losses described for those processes. During this Phase I process, FC Renew, in collaboration with UT Knoxville, will develop this PGM recovery technology focusing on success metrics with main objectives for 1) fuel cells and 2) electrolysis cells including analysis goals that ensure adequate technical and commercial development and 3) characterization of the fluorinated materials released during this process to demonstrate the advantages of our process as it relates to the negative effects on the environment and human health. Successfully developed, FC Renews proposed technology could open the door to the hydrogen economy, offering a cost-effective approach that would enable fuel cell adoption for a larger share of the automotive industry than is currently possible. In contributing to the growth of the FCV market, FC Renew would establish the dominance of the U.S. as a technology innovator. This technology can be licensed out to OEMs around the world, facilitating the adoption of green energy technologies while also supporting the U.S. economy.
