| Using Aluminum to Create Hydrogen |
| Written by Philip Proefrock | ||
| Friday, 25 May 2007 | ||
Using hydrogen as a vehicle fuel is one of the possible solutions being touted as a replacement for oil-based fuels. Hydrogen fueled vehicles would be preferable because their emissions are merely water vapor, rather than CO2. But carrying around hydrogen in fuel tanks makes people twitchy. And there is no national infrastructure to distribute hydrogen the way we currently distribute gasoline. Researchers at Purdue University have developed a process that produces hydrogen gas when water comes in contact with special pellets made of aluminum and gallium. Normally, aluminum quickly forms a skin on its surface which inhibits this process from taking place (which is why aluminum cans don't dissolve into clouds of hydrogen gas when filled with liquid). But the gallium prevents the skin from forming, and allows the aluminum to remain reactive. Of course, refining aluminum in the first place is an incredibly energy intensive process, so the production of these gallium-aluminum pellets won't be cheap. But the ability to produce hydrogen as it is needed and in a transportable form is an interesting prospect. Those of you who are patiently waiting for the hydrogen economy now have a little bit less to wait for. Via Physorg
Comments
(5)
Peak gallium? Why not use Boron?
written by thatphil , June 02, 2007
hi
written by phillip , November 20, 2007
Could using any metal make
hydrogen 
hydrogen
written by car rent Israel , December 26, 2007
I don't think any metal will do. Still, I agree to the idea that the Boron engine from Israel is the way to go.
Aluminum NaOh = Hot Reaction Hydroge
written by Raul , January 06, 2008
The reaction is very usefule to produce Hidrogen ande the other side Alu
alumina, The aluminia is the feedstock to produce Aluminum, thats why is interesting, because is a short cicle and the aluminum use could be recovered. This is a video for example. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tvR1khXKnI
fused salt electrolysis
written by Mike Whitehead , June 02, 2008
first off this is a very officiant way of produce hydrogen no resources are lost, not even the water all is completely recyclablejavascript:void(0);
Smiley the problem lies in the energy required to do these processes the answer lies in green energy sources which do exist in great abundance we just have to implicate the technologies like fused salt electrolysis and soler power among many more, will work very well for abstracting the Aluminum out of the Aluminum oxide witch is nothing more than the Aluminum and oxygen boned together from the mixtures reaction witch is required in this particular reaction in order to release the stored hydrogen in the water H20 but its just like i said Nothing is lost its just an organized dance of molecular bonds breaking off and switching partners even the the hydrogen will be recycled when its burned it rebonds with oxygen as water vapors and is released back in to the atmosphere it is a very good idea except the price of gallium could be a problem as it is but once it is recycled is the price going to raise or what. Uncle scam will get his on way or another.  here are some links dont take my word for it see for your self http://www.physorg.com/news98556080.html http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19338/ | ||
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http://blogs.wsj.com/informedreader/2007/05/25/a-metal-scare-to-rival-the-oil-scare/
Although the Purdue University process gallium is recycled, with maybe 10 to 15 years of Gallium supplies left, is this really feasible or a stillborn solution to fossil fuels? ( I hope the same is not true for the future of wonderfully low wattage LED lighting which also use gallium. And solar cells).
Why not use the Boron engine designed in Israel? Boron's scarce but not I beleive so scarce as Gallium. Here's the New Scientist article.
http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/energy-fuels/mg19125621.200-a-fuel-tank-full-of-water.html
Like the aluminium gallium process, you don't have to store Hydrogen gas beneath your car seat. You make it from water, this time using boron instead of gallium and energy intensive (producing CO2) aluminium. You can make and recycle boron in sun towers (in the article diagram). That runs on cheap sunlight.