Fuel cells without using platinum

wpr102

"Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory have developed a platinum-free catalyst in the cathode of a hydrogen fuel cell that uses carbon, iron and cobalt. That could make the catalysts “two to three orders of magnitude cheaper,” the lab says, thereby significantly reducing the cost of fuel cells."

Would this potentially push the price of platinum down if the technology works?

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/04/discovery-makes-fuel-cells-orders-of-magnitude-cheaper/

Overdate

Maybe in several years, when the fuel cell cars hit the market. As far as I can tell, the new technology applies only to fuel cells, not to catalytic converters in today's cars.

FullCameo

Last year there was a man on 60 minutes unvieling his newest invention called "The Box". From what I remember, it used a similar technology, and provided energy to homes and businesses. He said it used a metal with similar properties as platinum, but far cheaper to produce, he also refused to say what it was. I first thought palladium, but he made it sound like it was an inexpensive metal. This would make better sense. Could be related, idk.

MrOrganic

http://seekingalpha.com/article/263252-why-is-jpmorgan-so-eagerly-acquiring-bars-of-physical-platinum

this trumps it

wpr102

Good find! lol at this section of the article:

"In making these calculations, we have not yet even considered the so-called “indiginization” program in Zimbabwe. The eventual decline in Zimbabwean production makes soaring platinum prices a virtual certainty within a year or two, even without consideration of Japan and the Fed. Zimbabwe is the only place left where new deposits of platinum can be mined at a reasonable cost. The corrupt government of Robert Mugabe, however, is making it unprofitable for miners to operate there. If that situation does not resolve very quickly, it will remove expected additional supplies over the next few years, creating a more severe shortage, sooner than previously predicted."

1Mike1

This is a little information on what you call the box. The equipment is in the start up stages now wow wow

My guess is they may be interested in running them with natural gas since the marcellus is right underneath where they are creating the fuel cells and the natural gas is becoming a game changer in the energy world.

Steve27

"Would this potentially push the price of platinum down if the technology works?"

No, because fuel cells have so few applications currently (due to price).