Development status
We are finalising the development of these recovery processes. Once commissioned, recovered metal will re-enter our own precursor chemistry, so the loop closes inside one facility rather than leaving the country as export.
Products & services
Critical minerals, engineered into components.
Membrane electrode assemblies, catalyst-coated membranes, PGM catalysts and precursors, recovery and recycling — supplied from one integrated facility.
Our products and services at a glance
PGM chemicals
Speciality compounds for industry, petrochemicals and life sciences.
Catalysts & precursors
Platinum and iridium technologies, and the chemistry behind them.
MEAs & CCMs
The functional core of fuel cells and electrolysers.
Electrolyser & fuel cell stacks
Stack design, fabrication and MW-scale deployment.
Recycling & refining
PGM recovery, ionomer recycling and refining back to purity.
Laboratory & consulting
Accredited testing, market analysis and technology insight.
Product 01
Membrane Electrode Assemblies
We design and manufacture advanced MEAs that serve as the core functional component of fuel cells and electrolysers.
Our MEAs integrate proton exchange membranes with high-performance catalyst layers, built on our core iridium and platinum technologies alongside other specialised precious-metal formulations. They are engineered for efficiency, durability and optimal power output, enabling reliable hydrogen production and clean energy generation under demanding operating conditions.
Catalyst-coated membranes are available as a standalone product where you integrate the gas diffusion layers and hardware yourself.
| Applications | PEM fuel cells and PEM electrolysers |
|---|---|
| Formats | Finished MEAs, and catalyst-coated membranes (CCMs) |
| Catalyst systems | Platinum-based and iridium-based, plus specialised precious-metal formulations |
| Engineered for | Efficiency, durability and optimal power output |
| Active area & loading | Specified to your stack design — discuss with our technical team |
| Verification | In-house electrochemical testing, lifecycle and durability testing |
Product 02
PGM Catalysts & Precursors
Platinum and iridium catalyst technologies developed and manufactured in house, with the precursor chemistry and ink formulation behind them.
Because we own the chain from precursor synthesis through to the coated layer, catalyst properties can be tuned against the performance you actually need rather than against what a catalogue happens to offer.
- PGM chemical processing and precursor synthesis
- Precious metal catalyst manufacturing
- Catalyst ink formulation
- Catalyst-coated membrane production
- Electrochemical testing and quality control
- PGM recovery and recycling
Product 03
Speciality PGM Chemicals
High-purity platinum, palladium, iridium, rhodium and ruthenium compounds — for our own catalyst production, and for yours.
Isondo converts South Africa's critical platinum group metals into speciality chemicals that serve petrochemical processing and catalysis, pharmaceuticals and medical diagnostics, electronics, and clean energy technologies.
Eight compounds are in regular production, from hexachloroplatinic acid through to rhodium chloride, alongside bespoke catalyst precursors developed to customer specification.
Product 04
Electrolyser & Fuel Cell Stacks
The next step up the chain from the MEA — stack design, fabrication and deployment at megawatt scale.
A stack is where individual membrane electrode assemblies become a working power or hydrogen production system. Building them ourselves keeps the whole chain — from precursor chemistry to finished stack — inside one organisation, and lets us tune the MEA against the hardware it will actually sit in.
- Local manufacturing across design, testing, fabrication, scale-up and deployment at megawatt scale
- In-house CAD design capability generating ready-for-manufacture designs
- Local quality control using an automated testing station
- Scale-up drives PGM beneficiation while lowering production cost
Product 05
Recovery, Recycling & Refining
Precious metal is too valuable and too strategically constrained to use once. We close the loop at end of life.
Ionomer & membrane recycling
Recovery and recycling of ionomer and PFSA membrane materials from electrochemical components, supporting sustainable manufacturing and reducing material waste. This programme is in development — talk to us about participating.
PGM recovery & refining
Closed-loop recovery of platinum group metals from spent catalysts, process residues and end-of-life components. The route is planned to deploy IBC's SuperLig® Molecular Recognition Technology (MRT™), commercially proven in PGM refining since the mid-1990s and demonstrated on Isondo surrogate feeds separating iridium, platinum, ruthenium, rhodium and palladium at catalyst-grade purity.
Manufacturing capability
Why the facility can compete internationally.
The plant leverages South Africa's proximity to PGM resources, its technical skills base, and Special Economic Zone incentives to enhance competitiveness — three advantages that are difficult to replicate anywhere else in the world simultaneously.
Proximity
Located alongside the world's dominant platinum group metal reserves
Skills
A deep South African technical and metallurgical skills base
Incentives
Special Economic Zone incentive regime at OR Tambo
Services
Beyond components.
Isondo is a recognised expert across the PGM and hydrogen industries, and we are available to assist in developing projects across the spectrum.
Analytical & MEA testing services
Accredited laboratories offering precious metal analysis, catalyst-coated membrane assays, metal accounting, umpire and third-party assays, and MEA lifecycle and durability testing.
Global & local market analysis
In-depth market research to help you understand the current landscape and future trends in the fuel cell and hydrogen sectors, in South Africa and internationally.
Technology trend analysis
Detailed analysis of emerging technologies and innovations across fuel cells, hydrogen and mobility, so your technology roadmap stays ahead of the curve.
Who we supply
Key clients and markets.
Four groups of customer, with very different requirements — and one integrated platform behind all of them. Our commercial base does not depend on any single end market; see the six industries we serve.
Fuel cell electric vehicle manufacturers
MEAs and stacks for automotive and heavy transport applications, engineered for duty cycle and durability.
Electrolyser stack manufacturers
Iridium-based catalysts, CCMs and MEAs for green hydrogen production at industrial scale.
Government & public sector
Green hydrogen programmes, national beneficiation objectives and public transport decarbonisation.
Chemical companies
Speciality PGM compounds and catalyst precursors for petrochemical, pharmaceutical and industrial catalysis.
Start with the requirement, not the catalogue.
Tell us the application, the operating window and the volumes you are working towards. Our technical team will tell you honestly what we can supply and when.