{"id":7071,"date":"2026-05-15T06:39:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T06:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/am-pioneers.com\/?post_type=news&p=7071"},"modified":"2026-05-08T05:38:59","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T05:38:59","slug":"printed-ceramics-new-approaches-to-hydrogen-production","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/am-pioneers.com\/en\/news\/printed-ceramics-new-approaches-to-hydrogen-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Printed ceramics: new approaches to hydrogen production"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

“Germany must become a hydrogen republic,” said Robert Habeck, a German politician from the Alliance 90\/The Greens party and one of the main drivers of the hydrogen strategy in Germany. The German government wants to be climate-neutral by 2045, for which it needs a new energy mix. Renewable energies from the sun and wind play a role, but so does hydrogen. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electrolysis process for the production of hydrogen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best-known process for separating hydrogen is electrolysis. In this process, electricity is used to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen. It is important to mention that hydrogen is not an energy source in itself like crude oil, natural gas, wind and water, but an energy carrier that is versatile. It is used in industry, in chemistry, in petrochemistry, in mobility and also in the generation of electricity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why technical ceramics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technical ceramics are not preferred “by chance” in electrolysis processes for hydrogen production, but deliberately because they have precisely the properties that are needed under the extreme conditions of electrolysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chemical resistance<\/strong> is a key point. Aggressive working environments and conditions prevail in electrolysis. Metals can decompose in contrast to technical ceramics, which remain largely inert even in aggressive working environments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Added to this is the high temperature resistance<\/strong>. Most ceramics retain their mechanical stability and function at very high temperatures where metals fail. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another advantage is the ionic conductivity <\/strong>of certain ceramics such as yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide (YSZ). Materials such as yttrium-stabilized zirconium oxide can conduct oxygen ions and serve as an electrolyte. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electrical insulation<\/strong> also plays a role: ceramics can be electrically insulating and ionically conductive at the same time – a combination that is ideal for many cell concepts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green hydrogen & SOC<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Currently, the majority (95%) of global hydrogen production is based on the steam reforming of methane, which results in emissions of more than 12 kg of CO\u2082 per kilogram of hydrogen produced. However, there are alternative methods for hydrogen production without CO2 emissions, so-called green hydrogen. Today, there are three main technologies for the production of green hydrogen, namely proton exchange membrane, alkaline electrolysis and solid oxide electrolysis. Solid oxide cells (SOC) offer several advantages as they operate at high temperatures, typically above 750 \u00b0C, resulting in improved overall performance and efficiency. With an impressive efficiency of up to 80 %, SOC technologies show their potential as highly efficient energy storage devices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOC devices typically consist of two porous electrodes and a dense oxide-ion electrolyte. The most modern electrolyte material currently available for SOC applications is yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image 1: 3D-printed ceramic corrugated sheet<\/em><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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IREC – Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In order to increase the performance of the SOC components, the team at IREC – Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya decided to experiment with two parameters: Material and design.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Figure 2: a C2000 printer specially adapted for this customer for printing the SOC cells<\/em><\/sub><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

They decided to go beyond standard zirconium oxide and processed a high-performance zirconium oxide stabilized with ytterbium and scandium (6Yb4ScSZ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the help of the CERAMAKER printer<\/a>, they successfully printed the material into complex, corrugated electrolytes, thus proving that the material can be used in a variety of ways:<\/p>\n\n\n\n