Inexpensive Inert Anodes for Energy Materials

Electrometallurgical production of metals and alloys is inherently inexpensive, but leads to dwindling of primary resources and the creation of excessive landfill/waste materials. Graphite, though the industry choice, creates greenhouse gasses and is not inert. Long-term deployment of a monolithic Platinum Group Metals (PGM) is cost-prohibitive. INL's solution: A suitable combination of Transition Metals (TM) and Platinum Group Metals (PGM) have shown promising results. The high temperature strength of TMs and the chemical inertness to obnoxious/reactive gasses of PGMs combine to create an alloy with both characteristics. Initial experiments were performed with a molybdenum (TM) - ruthenium (PGM) alloy Two electrolytes were used in the temperature ranges Alloy anode was exposed to molten salts, oxygen and reactive gasses No perceptible damages (thinning, mechanical degradation, necking) were observed in the alloy anode. Applications Recycling photovoltaic (PV) wastes Fabrication of thin film modules onto low-cost materials Semiconducting-based thin film PV materials New alloys for coating energy materials Removal of toxic elements (Pb, Cd) from waste materials (TV screens, PV wastes etc.) INL is seeking to license the above intellectual property to a company with a demonstrated ability to bring such inventions to the market. Exclusive rights in defined fields of use may be available.