Hydrogen Generation from Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys Powder

Production of hydrogen from the aluminum and its alloys powder with aqueous alkaline solutions is studied. In this process, it is based on aluminum corrosion, consuming only water and aluminum which are cheaper raw materials than other compounds used for in situ hydrogen generation, such as chemical hydride. In principle, this method does not consume alkali because the aluminum salts production in the hydrogen generation undergoes a decomposition reaction that regenerates the alkali. As a result, this process could be a feasible alternative for hydrogen production to supply fuel cell. The results show that an increase of base volume and working temperature produced an increase of hydrogen production amount. Furthermore, an improvement of hydrogen production rate and yield was observed by varying aluminum particles size and by adding the accelerant. The development of this idea could improve yields and reduce costs in power units based on fuel cells which use hydrides as raw material for hydrogen production.