NICKEFFECT

Platinum group metals (PGM) are currently highly demanded due to their unique properties which have made them indispensable in different strategic sectors as renewable energy, electric mobility and digital technologies.

Unfortunately, PGMs are costly, and Europe depends on their importation from other continents, which is nowadays a high risk for the development of strategic applications in key industrial sectors. For these reasons PGMs are categorized as critical raw materials by the EC. Thus, finding alternatives to them is critical for the EU economy. In this context, NICKEFFECT project has identified an opportunity to replace these materials in key applications as electrolysers electrodes, fuel cells catalysts and magneto-electronic devices. The proposed alternative is based on nickel (Ni), an earth-abundant element with ferromagnetic character. To enhance the catalytic performance of Ni, innovative deposition techniques to obtain coatings, with ordered and pseudo-ordered porosity, will be developed. The higher surface to volume ratio provided by the increased porosity will allow enhancing catalytic performance or converse magnetoelectric effect in electronic devices.

NICKEFFECT will develop and validate at least 3 new materials, together with the coating methodologies (including process modelling) and decision support tools for materials selection (integrating safe and sustainable by design criteria and materials modelling).

The NICKEFFECT project brings together a strong consortium composed of twelve different partners from 7 different EU and HEU associated countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Spain, and the United Kingdom). It covers entities with complementary profiles and large expertise, covering the whole project value chain, together with special skills, capabilities and certification expected for the project.

CIDETEC Surface Engineering is the coordinator of the project and leader of two WPs: WP5 – Upscale of the production processes, deposition on demonstrators and WP8 – Project Management and Coordination. In the first half of the project, CIDETEC will develop at laboratory scale fully dense and porous nickel-based coatings with tuned porosity, from meso- to macro-, and ferromagnetic character by electroless deposition. Additionally, CIDETEC will be in charge of nickel-based coatings characterization. In the second half of the project, CIDETEC will lead the production processes upscaling and in the production of demonstrators linked to fuel cell and water electrolysis use cases.