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Hydrogen‐Generation Materials for Portable Applications
Author(s) -
Deng ZhenYan,
Ferreira José M. F.,
Sakka Yoshio
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1551-2916.2008.02800.x
Subject(s) - hydrogen , ceramic , hydrogen fuel , materials science , hydrogen production , oxide , chemical engineering , metal , nanotechnology , process engineering , metallurgy , chemistry , organic chemistry , engineering
Unlike traditional batteries, small fuel cells have a high energy density and can work uninterruptedly, being better energy suppliers for portable devices. Such devices require an economically viable fuel. Recent findings showed that metal Al particle surfaces could be modified by fine ceramic oxide grains through a ceramic processing procedure, and the modified Al powder could continuously react with pure water and generate hydrogen under ambient conditions. The reaction of Al with water produces as much as 3.7–4.8 wt% hydrogen, and the reaction byproducts are chemically neutral. Metal Al is cheap and hydrogen generation from the reaction between surface‐modified Al particles and water is a simple process. These features make this new process a cost‐efficient way of generating hydrogen for small fuel cells in comparison with other portable hydrogen‐generation materials and technologies. In this paper, the state of the art of portable hydrogen‐generation materials is surveyed, and the ceramic oxide‐modified Al–hydrogen technology and its potential are highlighted.