Discarded metal swarf can serve as a textured support for catalysts in alkaline water electrolysis. In a 2024 laboratory study, researchers deposited platinum on titanium swarf for hydrogen production and cobalt on nickel swarf for oxygen production. The swarf does not make hydrogen simply by being put in water, and the reported results do not establish a commercial-scale process.
How can machining waste become part of a hydrogen electrolyser?
Metal swarf is the curled or fragmented waste left by machining. Madasamy Thangamuthu and colleagues examined discarded stainless-steel, titanium and nickel alloy swarf as electrode supports. They reported naturally formed surface grooves 10–50 nm wide, then deposited platinum (Pt) or cobalt (Co) onto the textured metal. The study’s approach is to use this nanoscale surface to hold catalyst material, not to treat bare swarf as a hydrogen source.
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The researchers describe the work as transforming metal waste into electrode materials for water splitting. In practical terms, the electrodes were tested in an alkaline electrolyser, where electricity drives separate reactions: hydrogen evolution at the cathode and oxygen evolution at the anode.
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Which swarf and catalyst pairings did the study use?
| Electrode pairing | Role in the electrolyser | Reported catalyst loading and form |
|---|---|---|
| Platinum on titanium swarf (Pt–Ti) | Hydrogen-evolution reaction (HER) | 28 μg cm−2 Pt; 5–20 nm Pt nanoparticles in the grooves |
| Cobalt on nickel swarf (Co–Ni) | Oxygen-evolution reaction (OER) | 30 μg cm−2 Co; roughly 100 nm interlinked Co(OH)2 flakes |
These were the reported optimal loadings for the study’s tested materials and conditions, not universal recipes for all swarf or electrolyser designs. The researchers found that the substrate-catalyst combination mattered: Pt on titanium was their strongest reported pairing for hydrogen evolution, while Co on nickel was used for oxygen evolution in the full cell.
#1 Best Overall
- 1. Electrical part: motor with wind shoulder, ammeter, voltmeter.
- 2. Ammonia fuel cell.Hydrogen's electrons travel from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, generating an electric current. At the cathode, the electrons, protons, and oxygen in the air combine to produce water, which is the main by-product of the fuel cell.
- 3. PEM (proton exchange) water electrolyzer.Gaseous hydrogen is sent to the anode of the membrane, and air is sent to the cathode. The hydrogen atoms are stripped of electrons on the anode side, and the positively charged protons pass through the membrane to reach the cathode. In order for this reaction to occur, a platinum catalyst must be used.
- 4. The two proton exchange membrane electrodes in the organic base and the presenter are 35mm*35mm. Experimental steps. Add deionized water to the water level in the PEM water electrolyzer. The amount of water should not be too much to prevent water from flowing into the battery. After adding water, connect the hydrogen gas outlet on the water electrolyzer to the hydrogen gas inlet on the electrical energy with a gas pipe.
- 5.Then connect the 6V-12V DC power supply to the positive and negative wiring of the water electrolyzer part, and connect the transportation line of the electrical part to the electric energy after 2-3 minutes, the small motor starts to work, and the current is displayed on the current and voltmeter. Positive value.
What performance did the full-cell test report?
The authors paired the Pt–Ti hydrogen electrode with the Co–Ni oxygen electrode in a laboratory alkaline electrolyser. They reported a current density of 40 mA cm−2 at 1.6 V vs. RHE, hydrogen and oxygen production rates of 22.09 and 10.75 mmol min−1, respectively, and 100% faradaic efficiency. They also reported no observed activity decrease during a 24-hour test.
Those figures are results reported by the study’s authors, not independently reproduced measurements or specifications for a commercial electrolyser. The 24-hour observation is a short-duration stability result; it does not establish performance over months or years.
Rank #2
- 1. Electrical part: motor with wind shoulder, ammeter, voltmeter.
- 2. Ammonia fuel cell.Hydrogen's electrons travel from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, generating an electric current. At the cathode, the electrons, protons, and oxygen in the air combine to produce water, which is the main by-product of the fuel cell.
- 3. PEM (proton exchange) water electrolyzer.Gaseous hydrogen is sent to the anode of the membrane, and air is sent to the cathode. The hydrogen atoms are stripped of electrons on the anode side, and the positively charged protons pass through the membrane to reach the cathode. In order for this reaction to occur, a platinum catalyst must be used.
- 4. The two proton exchange membrane electrodes in the organic base and the presenter are 35mm*35mm. Experimental steps. Add deionized water to the water level in the PEM water electrolyzer. The amount of water should not be too much to prevent water from flowing into the battery. After adding water, connect the hydrogen gas outlet on the water electrolyzer to the hydrogen gas inlet on the electrical energy with a gas pipe.
- 5.Then connect the 6V-12V DC power supply to the positive and negative wiring of the water electrolyzer part, and connect the transportation line of the electrical part to the electric energy after 2-3 minutes, the small motor starts to work, and the current is displayed on the current and voltmeter. Positive value.
How does the platinum loading compare with Pt/C?
The paper compares the study’s 0.028 mg cm−2 Pt loading on titanium swarf with 0.1–0.6 mg cm−2 for state-of-the-art commercial Pt/C catalysts cited by the authors. On loading alone, the swarf-supported electrode uses one-tenth the Pt amount stated for that comparison. This is not a full comparison of electrode cost, durability, manufacturing requirements, lifecycle impacts or total system economics.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhat the results do—and do not—establish
What the study demonstrates
- Discarded machining swarf can be prepared as a catalyst-support electrode material and tested in alkaline water electrolysis.
- The reported nanoscale grooves can host deposited Pt or Co, and the study identifies Pt–Ti for hydrogen evolution and Co–Ni for oxygen evolution under its conditions.
- A laboratory full cell using these electrodes produced the reported current, gas-rate and faradaic-efficiency results, with activity observed not to decrease over 24 hours.
What remains unproven
- The paper does not demonstrate industrial-scale production, commercial availability or a purchase-ready hydrogen device.
- Its results do not establish that the process is affordable at scale or that it has lower overall environmental impact; the Pt-loading comparison alone cannot answer those questions.
- The reported stability period does not establish long-term operation.
The article appeared in Journal of Materials Chemistry A in 2024. The study paper provides the experimental context and reported measurements; a University of Nottingham repository record identifies the same work.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 1. Electrical part: motor with wind shoulder, ammeter, voltmeter.
- 2. Ammonia fuel cell.Hydrogen's electrons travel from the anode to the cathode through an external circuit, generating an electric current. At the cathode, the electrons, protons, and oxygen in the air combine to produce water, which is the main by-product of the fuel cell.
- 3. PEM (proton exchange) water electrolyzer.Gaseous hydrogen is sent to the anode of the membrane, and air is sent to the cathode. The hydrogen atoms are stripped of electrons on the anode side, and the positively charged protons pass through the membrane to reach the cathode. In order for this reaction to occur, a platinum catalyst must be used.
- 4. The two proton exchange membrane electrodes in the organic base and the presenter are 35mm*35mm. Experimental steps. Add deionized water to the water level in the PEM water electrolyzer. The amount of water should not be too much to prevent water from flowing into the battery. After adding water, connect the hydrogen gas outlet on the water electrolyzer to the hydrogen gas inlet on the electrical energy with a gas pipe.
- 5.Then connect the 6V-12V DC power supply to the positive and negative wiring of the water electrolyzer part, and connect the transportation line of the electrical part to the electric energy after 2-3 minutes, the small motor starts to work, and the current is displayed on the current and voltmeter. Positive value.
Rank #4
- Hydrogen fuel cell experimenter type I fuel cell PEM water electrolyzer
Rank #3
- PEM electrolysis technology, pure water electrolysis, non-corrosive.
- Hydrogen and oxygen separation, safe and reliable, service life up to 6 years (20,000 hours) or more.
- Strict sealing process, producing high-concentration hydrogen with sufficient output.
- Uses 115/117 proton exchange membrane, loaded with iridium and platinum, which are superior materials.
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