Recycling of platinum electrodes demonstrating particulate electrochemical printing - PEP 3d Pt

The aim of this project is to investigate the fields of hydrogen, electrochemistry and electrochemical engineering leading to the demonstration of particulate electrochemical printing with recycled platinum. The use of critical materials, the regeneration of industrial wastes, and the hydrogen economy within a sustainable energy infrastructure of the future are fundamental areas in need of research breakthroughs.

This Phd will focus on a new method for the utilising key resources, how this method can reduce the amount of critical materials used, the potential for recycling the materials produced, and using the new method to regenerate industrial waste. The further stages of the Phd will look at how the novel materials formed perform within the hydrogen economy.

The proposed project is aligned to the remit of EPSRC and its strategic priorities; the frontiers in engineering, manufacturing and technology; engineering net zero; and the physical and mathematical sciences powerhouse. Research in this area is critical to achieve a circular economy, to enable the Hydrogen economy, to provide advanced materials and to develop manufacturing techniques of the future.

The project will first look at forming and characterizing novel platinum based electrochemical materials before developing these materials into patterned electrodes. The ability to use feed stock materials from industrial wastes and the ability to recycle the material produced will be investigated. The fundamental aim of the Phd is to demonstrate closed loop manufacture of platinum based electrodes for the hydrogen economy with an initial feed-stock of waste materials.