China develops non-precious metal catalyst for industrial emissions control
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Researchers in China have successfully tested a new catalyst made without expensive precious metals in two industrial settings, a coal mine in Shanxi province and a coalbed methane plant in Guizhou province.
The catalyst, developed by a team led by Wang Sheng at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, helps remove harmful gases from industrial exhaust.
Traditionally, these processes rely on platinum, palladium, and other costly metals, creating supply chain vulnerabilities for China, which imports over 90% of its platinum group metals. The team focused on designing a catalyst using more readily available and cheaper metal oxides. They addressed the challenge of balancing reactivity and stability by precisely controlling the catalyst’s electronic structure, shape, and interactions between its oxide components.
This new design allowed them to achieve performance comparable to precious metal catalysts, even in difficult conditions with sulfur and water. The catalyst underwent rigorous testing in the field, operating for 1100 hours in both the Shanxi coal mine (treating ventilation gas) and the Guizhou plant (removing oxygen from coalbed methane). In both cases, the catalyst maintained over 90% efficiency in converting harmful gases, proving its reliability under real-world conditions.
The researchers estimate this technology could save hundreds of millions of yuan annually by reducing reliance on expensive precious metals and could significantly lower methane emissions from coal mining.
