MINING H2
MINING H2Our NiCo Electrode for Mine-Site Hydrogen
Mining sites are evaluating hydrogen-fuel-cell haul trucks and on-site hydrogen production. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode supplies that hydrogen at 91.4% energy efficiency at 0.5 A/cm2 in an AEM cell with a commercial Zirfon separator.
Polarization (RT vs 60 °C)
TESTBEDOn-site production fits remote mines
Remote mining sites often lack hydrogen supply chains. On-site electrolytic production avoids trucking. Bifunctional NiCo + commercial Zirfon: 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C.
Renewable-coupling validated
Many mining sites have access to on-site solar or wind. 9 days solar / 100 hours wind cycling validated on the same bifunctional NiCo electrode.
Bifunctional
80 mV / 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 (no IR correction).
1000-hour run-time baseline
21 uV/hr drift with bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon separator.
Hydrogen for haul trucks and processing
Mining haul trucks consume large volumes of diesel. Hydrogen fuel-cell haul trucks are being piloted as a replacement. The hydrogen must be produced on-site (most mines are remote) or trucked in. On-site electrolysis is the natural option when the site has reliable power and water.
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode on Ni foam (100 to 1000 cm2), electroless-deposited, supplies the hydrogen. The same coated electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm2 in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction).
Cell-level performance
In a 5 cm2 AEM cell with bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 um), 0.5 A/cm2 at 1.62 V at 60 deg C (91.4% efficiency).
Renewable-coupled mine hydrogen
Mine sites with on-site PV or wind can run the electrolyzer on renewable power. Our bifunctional NiCo electrode + commercial Zirfon separator was tested under PV-derived schedules for 9 days (peaks ~570 mA/cm2) and wind-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm2).
Uptime under remote-site conditions
Remote sites need long service intervals. The 1000-hour run on bifunctional NiCo and commercial Zirfon at 0.5 A/cm2 / 40 deg C showed 21 uV/hr drift, supporting planning of multi-thousand-hour operating windows between scheduled service.
PV-derived current profile
9 DAYSWind-derived current profile
100 HRFrequently asked questions
Why use a bifunctional NiCo electrode for mining operations hydrogen?
Our bifunctional NiCo electrode operates as both HER cathode and OER anode at 80 mV and 260 mV overpotential at 100 mA/cm² in 30 wt% KOH (no IR correction). For mining operations hydrogen, using a single electrode SKU on both sides simplifies stack BOM and qualification.
What cell-level performance is published?
In a 5 cm² AEM cell with bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides and a commercial Zirfon separator (500 µm) at zero-gap, the cell logs 0.5 A/cm² at 1.81 V at room temperature (82% efficiency) and 1.62 V at 60 °C (91.4%). At 1.0 A/cm²: 2.05 V at RT and 1.79 V at 60 °C.
What is the stability baseline?
Continuous 1000-hour chronopotentiometry at 0.5 A/cm² and 40 °C in 30 wt% KOH (bifunctional NiCo electrode on both sides, commercial Zirfon separator) showed voltage drift of 21 µV/hr. Before/after linear-sweep polarization curves differ by 30 mV at the operating point.
Is the electrode validated for renewable-coupled operation?
Yes. PV-irradiance-derived current schedules applied for 9 continuous days (peaks ~570 mA/cm²) and wind-variation-derived schedules for 100 hours (0 to 0.78 A/cm²) on the same cell. ΔV at 0.5 A/cm² before and after the 100-hour wind run: 20 mV.
What substrate sizes ship?
The bifunctional NiCo electrode is produced on Ni foam in the 100 to 1000 cm² size range. Bench-scale 5 cm² coupons matching the published test cell are also available so customers can reproduce numbers on their own rig before scaling up.
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