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NICKEFFECT aims to develop novel ferromagnetic Ni-based coating materials to replace the scarce and costly Platinum and ensure high efficiency in key applications.

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The transition from laboratory-scale research to pilot-scale production is a crucial phase in developing nickel coating technologies. While these coatings are expected to provide excellent corrosion resistance, durability, and conductivity, their large-scale production and application must be assessed for sustainability, economic feasibility, and regulatory compliance. Ensuring sustainability during this transition is essential to minimize environmental impact, optimize costs, and meet regulatory standards.   A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) evaluates the environmental footprint, focusing on raw material extraction, energy consumption, emissions, and waste management. Nickel production and electroplating are energy-intensive and generate hazardous by-products such as heavy metal waste and chemical effluents. Sustainable solutions, including closed-loop recycling, optimized plating baths, and eco-friendly alternatives, help mitigate these impacts. In addition, a Life Cycle Costing (LCC) Analysis assesses capital and operational costs, process efficiency, and market potential to ensure cost-effective scaling. Innovations such as low-energy deposition techniques and resource-efficient chemical formulations improve economic viability while...

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Since the NICKEFFECT projects aims at replacing platinum catalyst based PEM Fuel Cell (FC) cathodes by porous graphite electrodes that are covered with nickel alloy (nano-)particles, the plating process for creating these nickel nuclei populations  must be properly understood and controlled.   Same as for Water Electrolysis (WE) cells, the use of porous electrodes allows creating a high surface to volume ratio.  The throwing power of a full coverage nickel alloy plating process into a porous structure as for example a carbon fiber cloth is limited (WE cathodes), and the same holds for a nucleation plating process into a porous carbon structure (FC cathodes).  But whereas the main specifications in case of a full coverage nickel alloy plating process for WE cathodes involve primarily the local plating layer thickness and alloy content, for FC cathodes practically all local characteristics of the nuclei population are of importance, involving nuclei density, nuclei size...

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On December 10, the stakeholder meeting organized by the European Commission on “Driving EU prosperity: The future of Knowledge Valorisation” took place in Brussels, with live streaming broadcast. The program, introduced by Maria Cristina Russo, Director Prosperity Directorate from DG Research and Innovation, included, among other topics, panels on Industry and Academia Co-Creation, Socially Responsible Licensing or Effective Management of Standards and Intellectual Property. UNE, the NICKEFFECT's partner for standardization, participated in this roundtable about Standardization and IP.   UNE is the European standardization body with the largest number of participations in European research and innovation (R&I) projects, with around 120 funded ones, among which NICKEFFECT is one of those currently in progress. Fernando Utrilla, Head of the R&I Unit at UNE, conveyed to the event participants the best practices to take advantage of the benefits of standardization in these projects, as well as the lessons learned and recommendations to improve performance...

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