Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trends that Could Earn You Money Soon
We have been writing lately about cars that are powered not by gasoline or electricity, but by hydrogen fuel cells. They will soon allow you to fill your car with hydrogen that will be available at “gas stations” that offer hydrogen alongside gasoline.
We, along with a number of experts, believe that hydrogen could well be the automotive fuel choice of the future. It burns clean, producing only water and heat instead of dirty exhaust that is full of particulates and carbon. This “magic” is worked when hydrogen passes through platinum catalysts inside the fuel cells and generates an electrical current that is then used to power the car.
As we have been monitoring this trend, we have identified even more trends that could soon make it even easier to obtain the platinum that was contained in used hydrogen fuel cells. And in today’s post, we would like to explain what these trends are.
Trend One: Used Platinum Can Be Extracted from Older Hydrogen Fuel Cells
We are happy to report that it is actually possible to reach into many used fuel cells and simply scoop out the used platinum catalysts that they contained. Remember, there is still recyclable platinum in these catalysts, even though they have outlived their life on the road.
This used catalytic material can be removed and the platinum it contains can be extracted. Then – and this is remarkable – new platinum catalyst powder can be scooped back into the fuel cell. The result is that as fuel cell-powered cars age, they will become a source of platinum that we can process for you.
Compare that efficiency to what happens when you extract a battery from an electric or hybrid car. In those cases, only some lithium, silver and small amounts of gold can be obtained. In contrast, used fuel cells will offer recyclers a much larger yield.
Trend Two: The Race Is on to Replace Platinum in Fuel Cells
Researchers are experimenting with catalysts that are made from carbon fiber, cobalt, and other materials. Why? Because those substances are much cheaper than platinum. Therefore, future hydrogen cells could potentially cost much less than current fuel cells that contain platinum.
As new catalysts are developed that do not contain platinum, the result could be that older platinum-based fuel cells could become available for recycling. Smart investors should be able to obtain these older units and extract the platinum they contained.
This is a trend to watch, so make it part of your long-term plans for profiting from platinum scrap.
Trend Three: Hobbyists and Do-It-Yourselfers Are Converting Cars to Use Fuel Cells
You can watch one hot-rodder doing just this in this video:
This is a nascent trend, to be sure. But the popularity of another trend indicates that this one will grow: The fact that there is that a lot of do-it-yourselfers are already installing batteries and electrical motors to convert older gas-powered cars to run on electricity. Some of these enthusiasts are converting Mazda Miatas, older Fiats and even classic Porsches to run on electricity.
We expect this trend to evolve, as those backyard technicians convert more and more older cars to run on hydrogen, using fuel cells.
Look Ahead to New Profits from Recycling Platinum
If you have platinum scrap you have extracted from fuel cells, we encourage you to learn more about recycling it, Call our platinum recycling experts at 800-426-2344. A new age of fuel cell recycling seems to be coming soon. Will you be prepared to profit?