A Review of Unique Aluminum–Water Based Hydrogen Production Options

Abstract

This comprehensive review paper compares the different methods developed experimentally to produce hydrogen by reacting aluminum and water. The alumina oxide layer which forms on the exterior surface of aluminum inhibits the reaction from taking place. Therefore, this paper presents a variety of techniques used to eliminate the oxide layer so that the reaction can continuously take place. The review paper aims to evaluate these techniques by comparing the hydrogen yield and maximum hydrogen production rate. On the basis of the analyses conducted, it was identified that the addition of hydroxide promoters, such as NaOH and KOH, is highly beneficial. This was also evident in the various studies where yields greater than 99% are achieved. Additionally, it is determined that the addition of NaCl or KCl to ball-milled samples of aluminum can be extremely advantageous when examining the maximum hydrogen production rate. For instance, an experimental sample composed of 2% NaCl was able to achieve a maximum hydrogen production rate of 1140 mL/min. Furthermore, numerous other studies are discussed by considering their specific advantages and disadvantages.

Green synthesis of Size‐Controlled copper oxide nanoparticles as catalysts for H 2 production from industrial waste aluminum

“…The present study provided an H 2 yield of more than 300 mL of H 2 yield per 100 mg of waste Al. The last value is equivalent to more than 3000 mL of H 2 per 1 g of waste Al, which is a value much greater than the theoretical capacity of H 2 in Al (~1360 mL/g) 17‐19 . This large uncertainty in the experimental readings could be explained in the form of evaporated steam from the exothermic reaction of Al‐H 2 O.…”

“…17 However, most of the current studies focused on pure Al, Al alloys, and Al composites of their standard high purity commercial products as precursor sources for the reaction, which pay no attention to their economic feasibility and facile processing for continuous production. [18][19][20][21][22][23][24] In fact, there are few studies concerned with the production of H 2 gas from the waste Al as a feasible and sustainable precursor for the reaction. 21,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Ho and Huang, 2016, 25 reported the H 2 production using waste Al cans in an alkaline medium.…”

Hydrogen Production Technologies: From Fossil Fuels toward Renewable Sources. A Mini Review

“…Water is the most abundant resource for hydrogen production, and it can be split into hydrogen and oxygen if enough energy is provided without harmful emissions. , Water splitting in its simplest form uses an electrical current (electrolysis) passing through two electrodes to break water into hydrogen and oxygen . However, it can also be split using other energy sources, such as thermal energy (thermolysis), photonic energy (photoelectrolysis), and biophotolysis using microorganisms; , these aspects and other characteristics are summarized in Table .…”

Solid Acid Zirconium Oxo Sulfate/Carbon-Derived UiO-66 for Hydrogen Production

“…These methods are suitable to produce hydrogen for energy, materials science, and environmental applications. On another side, the hydrolysis process of materials such as aluminum, ammonia borane (H 3 NBH 3 ), Mg-based materials, and sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ) , is suitable for the generation of nascent hydrogen. Among these compounds, NaBH 4 offers several advantages .…”