20-05-2025

hte and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate on catalytic ammonia cracking

hte and precious metals specialist Heraeus Precious Metals signed a R&D service agreement. The main focus of this collaboration is the screening of different materials for catalytic ammonia cracking in order to obtain hydrogen. As part of this screening project, a cutting-edge, state-of-the-art high throughput system from hte was used to identify the ideal catalyst for commercial applications.

Hydrogen plays a key role when it comes to achieving global sustainability targets. This is why work is being carried out across the globe on different solutions for the generation, transportation and use of hydrogen. A crucial component here is the efficient transportation of green hydrogen between regions with sufficient production resources and sites where hydrogen will be applied. Ammonia is considered to be one of the most suitable transportation medium, which is why catalytic ammonia cracking using precious-metal catalysts is a promising way to enable the utilization of hydrogen transported in the ammonia at the point of use in a way which conserves resources.

Using a 16-fold high throughput system, hte was able to successfully screen catalysts under challenging test conditions. During the project, work was conducted at high temperatures (above 700°C) and at pressures in the mid-two-digit range at the same time. Data collected during the project helped Heraeus Precious Metals to identify suitable catalysts for ammonia cracking. Thanks to hte’s state-of-the-art high throughput technology, it was possible to examine a large number of materials in a very short period of time and under a variety of different process parameters. With the help of hte’s holistic, digital workflow, the experiments were carried out fully automatically and accompanied by online analysis. The generated data was documented and evaluated in a time- and cost-effective way. The comprehensive precious metals expertise of Heraeus Precious Metals was decisive for quickly selecting and effectively optimizing promising catalyst candidates. Direct access to proprietary precious-metal precursor compounds, combined with highly specialized analysis methods and decades of experience in the development of custom-tailored catalyst solutions for the chemical and process industries, led to products with exceptional activity and selectivity. Heraeus Precious Metals also ensures outstanding quality and safety standards in the processing of precious metals. This expertise ensures that industrial processes can be designed to be more efficient, more economical, and more sustainable. The company is consistently further expanding its position as a global pioneer in the development of precious metal catalysts, thereby significantly contributing to the advancement of the sustainable energy sector.

“Precious metals play an indispensable role in the chemical and energy industries. Thanks to high throughput testing at hte, we were able to test a large number of precious metal-based catalysts.  In the process, it was very important to us that testing was carried out under industrially relevant conditions with respect to pressure, temperature, and feed composition, which poses a major challenge especially for ammonia cracking. As a result, we were able to develop an extremely high performing and exceedingly stable ruthenium catalyst which we will now launch on the market. This will enable even more efficient and sustainable ammonia cracking processes in the future and therefore represents a significant contribution to the transition to a sustainable hydrogen economy,” according to Ingo Gräf, Global Head of Innovation Chemicals at Heraeus Precious Metals.

“The pursuit of sustainable, affordable, and reliable generation processes and the efficient transportation of green hydrogen take center stage when it comes to the strategic considerations of companies and entire industries. As a global provider of solutions for digitalized R&D lab workflows, hte is proud to be part of this important and amazing journey. We appreciate Heraeus Precious Metals’ deep trust in our services for accelerating the identification of a suitable catalytic material. We’re very much looking forward to further strengthening our relationships in future projects,”