Renewable energy could get a helping hand from outer space in the future.
Meteorite fragments possibly could be used as a high performing catalyst to help store renewable energy cheaply and efficiently, according to Swiss scientists.
Swiss scientists have found that prehistoric meteorite fragments from Namibia can be used to make the catalysts to help store energy from sources like wind or the sun.
The Namibian meteorite /Reuters Photo
The team from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) turned slices of the extraterrestrial rock into electrodes to test its effectiveness as a catalyst.
"After taking the different slices, we remove the oxide that has formed during the cutting process, then stick it on a glass piece for mechanical stability. And of course we also solder an electric wire and cover it with a non-reactive glue," said Florian Le Formal, a researcher at EPFL.
Florian Le Formal explains how effective the meteorite can be. /Reuters Photo
They passed an electric current through the electrodes to split hydrogen from water molecules in a process called water oxidation.
This generates hydrogen fuel which can be used to store energy.
It's the unique composition of the meteorite that makes it so useful -- especially its nickel and cobalt impurities.
The meteorite could hold the key to making renewable energy a cheaper and more efficient option.
(Source: Reuters)
