Superior MicroPowders LLC (SMP, Albuquerque, NM) announced that it has been granted two National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Technology Program (ATP) awards for the development of high-volume manufacturing of next-generation, membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) for direct-methanol fuel cells (DMFCs) and reformed-fuel, polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cells.
The SMP NIST ATP award entitled, "Development of High-Volume Digital Manufacturing of Membrane-Electrode Assemblies for Fuel Cells" is a $3.2 million, three-year program with major program objectives to develop materials and digital deposition technology, which will reduce precious metal content and enable flexible manufacturing techniques for high-volume manufacturing of DMFC MEAs.
The SMP NIST ATP award entitled, "Elevated-Temperature, Reformate-Tolerant, Membrane-Electrode Assemblies for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells" is a three-year, $3.1 million program focusing on the development of novel high-temperature membranes and advanced MEA manufacturing methods to produce MEAs that can tolerate high levels of reformed-fuel feed impurities.
