Catalyst automobile 428 --- market

About 8,000 metric tons of peroxides were consumed in 1972. This consumption was strongly stimulated by the rapid growth in reinforced plastics (Ref 23). The largest volume product is benzoyl peroxide which is used in polystyrene and polyester markets for such items as toys, automobiles, furniture, marine, transportation and mil requirements. Also, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide is used in large volumes to cure (as a catalyst) styrene-unsatur-ated polyester adhesive resins used in mil ammo adhesive applications, as well as in glass fiber reinforced plastic products such as boats, shower stalls, tub components, automobile bodies, sports equipment, etc. The monoperesters are growing slowly because of some substitution of the peroxydicarbonates and azo compds (Refs 8,9 23)... 

There has been an accelerated interest in polymer electrolyte fuel cells within the last few years, which has led to improvements in both cost and performance. Development has reached the point where motive power applications appear achievable at an acceptable cost for commercial markets. Noticeable accomplishments in the technology, which have been published, have been made at Ballard Power Systems. PEFC operation at ambient pressure has been validated for over 25,000 hours with a six-cell stack without forced air flow, humidification, or active cooling (17). Complete fuel cell systems have been demonstrated for a number of transportation applications including public transit buses and passenger automobiles. Recent development has focused on cost reduction and high volume manufacture for the catalyst, membranes, and bipolar plates. 

The world s supply of rhodium is in approximate balance with demand with erratic releases onto the world market from Russia being counterbalanced by national and industrial stockpiles. These fluctuations in availability are reflected in the spot price, which fell from US 64 at the millennium to US 17g by 2001. The current price in 2004 is US 26 g. Of the 2002 world production of 19.0 tonnes and recovered scrap from automobile catalysts of 3.1 tonnes, over 80% was used as rhodium alloy catalysts for automobile emission reduction. The rhodium component is vital in controlling NO emissions and looks set to increase in order to meet higher emission control standards. 

The introduction of automobile exhaust catalysts in the United States and elsewhere has produced a major market for platinum-type oxidation and reduction systems. An innovative consequence of this industry has been the development of ceramic honeycombed monoliths as catalyst supports. These structures contain long, parallel channels of less than 0.1 mm in diameter, with about SO channels per square centimeter. The monolith is composed of cordierite (2MgO - 2AI2O) SSiOj) and is manufactured by extrusion. A wash coat of stabilized alumina is administered prior to deposition of the active metal, either by adsorption or impregnation methods. 

If the entire European auto market were to use catalysts, estimates of an additional annual demand of 500.000 ounces of platinum, 150.000 ounces of palladium and 30.000 ounces of rhodium have been put forward, depending on the number of automobiles sold in the EEC in a given year. 

But on a long term basis a major increase of the amount of Pd used in automobile converters might change the price situation completely. Indeed, presently only 9 % of the Pd available to the market is used in automotive emission control catalysts. In case of Pt this share is about 45 %, whereas the world supply of Pt and Pd is in the same order of magnitude, see Figure 2. 

Industrially, the great application of ORMEs is as an electrode and catalyst material for fuel cells. In a few years fuel cells are destined to replace batteries in everything from mobile phones to automobiles. The market for fuel cells will be enormous and their use is only being held back by the lack of a suitable electrode material. The special characteristic of ORMEs is that it is a superconductor and therefore suitable as an electrode material. This was in fact the specific basis that the US Defense Department vetoed David Hudson s US patent application. 

Fuel cells will soon be a viable alternative to the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine, and, beyond 2010, they can be expected to be the primary automotive power source. Buses are fuel cell-powered, and cars are next. A motivation driving fuel cell development for automotives is tougher emission standards required in several eastern states and California. Another motivation is to enhance national security with energy independence. U. S. automobile manufacturers plan to have fuel cell-powered cars on the market by 2004. Thermoplastic elastomers coated with a platinum catalyst compose the fuel cell membrane electrode, referred to in Sec. 10.3.1.3. 

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