Why it matters to materials
Two competing electrolyser designs have completely different material profiles. Alkaline needs nickel and steel; PEM needs platinum and iridium. Which one wins determines which metal becomes scarce.
What it is made of
All materials →| Material | What it does here | Importance |
|---|---|---|
| Copper critical | Power delivery at very high current | Defining |
| Iridium critical | PEM anode catalyst | Defining |
| Nickel critical | Alkaline electrolyser electrodes | Defining |
| Platinum critical | PEM cathode catalyst and fuel cells | Defining |
| Iron & Steel | Stacks, vessels and piping | Important |
| Titanium critical | PEM bipolar plates | Important |
| Scandium critical | Solid-oxide cell electrolyte | Present |
| Yttrium critical | Solid-oxide cell electrolyte | Present |
Copper
The reddish metal that carries electricity better than anything except silver, and which humans have been smelting…
Iridium
The most corrosion-resistant metal known, and the second densest — a litre of it weighs about 22.5 kilograms.
Nickel
A silvery metal that resists rust, which is why it goes into stainless steel — and, more recently, into the cathodes…
Platinum
A dense, unreactive metal that speeds up chemical reactions without being consumed by them.
Iron & Steel
Iron with a little carbon in it, and the most-produced manufactured material on the planet.
Titanium
A metal as strong as steel at about half the weight, which does not corrode in seawater or in the human body.
