LT Metal and Impact Coatings Partner to Commercialize Catalytic Electrodes for PEM Electrolyzer Mass Production
LT Metal of South Korea and Sweden-based Impact Coatings have launched a collaboration to commercialize catalytic iridium oxide-coated porous transport layers (PTLs), designed to improve the durability and cost efficiency of proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers.
The companies have successfully demonstrated catalytic iridium oxide coatings on LT Metal’s titanium PTLs using Impact Coatings’ physical vapour deposition (PVD) technology. The resulting porous transport electrodes (PTEs) have delivered performance comparable to, or better than, conventional solutions while requiring significantly less iridium. The use of PVD coating on titanium is also intended to provide high durability and support longer service life for PEM electrolyzers.
The approach could help address one of the key cost challenges facing PEM electrolyzer manufacturing: the use of scarce and expensive iridium catalysts. In conventional PEM electrolyzer production, iridium oxide is applied to the polymer membrane. By instead applying the catalyst to the adjacent titanium PTL, the companies say iridium consumption can be significantly reduced.
The partners also aim to simplify manufacturing by integrating the iridium oxide coating with the platinum coating already applied to the PTL on the same PVD coating line. This could reduce manufacturing complexity and improve the cost efficiency of catalyst-coated PTLs for large-scale electrolyzer production.
LT Metal’s titanium PTL is used on the anode side of PEM electrolyzers, where it supports the transport of water, oxygen, electrons and protons under highly acidic, high-voltage and high-current-density operating conditions. The company says its proprietary titanium processing and sintering technologies enable PTLs with controlled pore structures, optimized porosity and thickness, high electrical conductivity and strong chemical stability.
The collaboration also brings together LT Metal’s expertise in titanium PTLs and precious-metal materials with Impact Coatings’ PVD catalyst-coating technology. LT Metal has capabilities spanning platinum-group metals, including iridium and platinum catalyst technologies, while Impact Coatings provides PVD technology, coating services and production equipment for energy applications.
The companies say this combination creates a pathway towards mass production of catalyst-coated PTLs that use less iridium while maintaining high performance and long operating life. Such a development could become increasingly important as PEM electrolyzer manufacturers seek to scale production while reducing dependence on critical and costly catalyst materials.
Impact Coatings operates coating service centres in Linköping, Sweden, and Shanghai, China, and supplies PVD coating technology to PEM electrolyzer manufacturers. Its INLINECOATER™ IC2000 PVD production line is designed for industrial coating of components used in PEM electrolyzers as well as PEM and solid oxide fuel cells.
The collaboration follows a Letter of Intent signed by LT Metal and Impact Coatings in June 2026, establishing a framework for joint development and large-scale commercialization of catalytic electrodes for PEM electrolyzers. The agreement is non-exclusive, allowing both companies to continue their independent business activities while pursuing the collaboration.
