Scalable Manufacturing of High-Entropy Alloy Catalysts for Ammonia Oxidation

Default ARPA-E Project Image

Program:
OPEN 2021
Award:
$2,994,607
Location:
Rockville, Maryland
Status:
ACTIVE
Project Term:
07/01/2022 - 06/30/2025
Website:

Critical Need:

Precious metals such as platinum and rhodium are widely used as catalysts in chemical industries. Their high cost and scarcity have become a limiting factor for the sustainable development of energy technologies and economies. Current platinum group metals (PGM) supply chains largely rely on imports outside the U.S., e.g., platinum from Russia and South Africa, with a risk of potentially unstable supplies. Improvements to usage efficiency and reducing the need for critical materials, such as PGMs, is imperative.

Project Innovation + Advantages:

HighT-Tech aims to develop advanced high-entropy alloy (HEA) catalysts for ammonia oxidation with enhanced catalytic activity, selectivity, and stability. HighT-Tech’s technical approach includes scalable high-temperature thermal shock manufacturing of uniformly mixed multi-metallic nanoparticle HEA catalysts, reduced precious metal contents by >50%, reduced operating temperature, enhanced selectivity to desired reaction products, and extended catalyst lifetime. The team will scale up HEA catalyst manufacturing, perform studies mimicking industrial operation conditions to compare catalytic performance, and build prototype reactors to demonstrate the proposed technology’s techno-economic advantages.

Potential Impact:

The proposed project will enable a new catalyst technology with great commercial potential for the chemical industries.

Security:

By reducing the use of scarce precious metals, the proposed process could help to promote sustainability in U.S. energy and chemical industries and manufacturing.

Environment:

The HEA catalysts can potentially enhance energy efficiency and improve the environmental impact of chemical industries.

Economy:

The new technology could allow for the scalable manufacturing of HEA catalysts at reduced precious metal content, improved yield, quality and rate of production, and high techno-economic effectiveness.

Contact

ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Philseok Kim
Project Contact:
Dr. Robert Gatte
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
bob.gatte@hight-tech.com

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Release Date:
02/11/2021