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The company added phosphorus to platinum ruthenium, which is widely used as a catalyst in fuel cells. This made the catalyst finer, which in turn increased reactive surface area and boosted efficiency. Another characteristic of the new catalyst is that there is little variance in granule size, with grains being uniformly 1.5 to 2.5 nanometers in diameter.
In evaluations with direct methanol fuel cells, the new catalyst achieved a maximum output density 1.7 times as great as conventional platinum ruthenium catalysts. As a result, platinum usage can be cut by two-thirds, thereby lowering manufacturing costs.
Catalysts for direct methanol fuel cells typically use platinum to enhance durability and power generation efficiency. Developing catalysts with high efficiency enables a smaller volume of the catalyst and platinum to be used, which is seen as the key to lowering the cost of fuel cells.
(Nikkei)
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