From: Spudboy100@aol.com
Date: Tue Jun 10 2003 - 06:39:53 MDT
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/06/030610075242.htm
<<...Powering Fuel Cells: Oxide Materials May Facilitate Small-scale Hydrogen
Production
A unique group of oxide materials that readily gives up and accepts oxygen
atoms with changes in temperature could be the basis for a small-scale hydrogen
production system able to power fuel cells in homes -- and potentially in
automotive applications. Scientists have long known that oxides of the rare earth
elements cerium (Ce), terbium (Tb), and praseodymium (Pr) can produce hydrogen
from water vapor and methane in continuous "inhale and exhale" cycles. By
doping iron atoms into the oxides, researchers at the Georgia Institute of
Technology have lowered the temperatures at which these "oxygen pump" materials
produce hydrogen, potentially allowing the process to be powered by solar energy.
This promising early-stage research was reported in the journal Advanced
Materials 15 (2003) pp 521-526.
"This is a new approach for producing hydrogen that has several advantages
compared to conventional production technology," said Zhong L. Wang, a professor
in Georgia Tech's School of Materials Science and Engineering and director of
the Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. "For some applications,
particularly those in the home, this could provide an alternative way to supply
hydrogen for small-scale fuel cells."
Traditional reforming processes use metallic catalysts and temperatures in
excess of 800 degrees Celsius to produce hydrogen from hydrocarbons such as
methane. While efficient in industrial-scale production, the traditional reforming
process may not be ideal for the small-scale hydrogen production needed to
power fuel cells in homes or vehicles...>>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Tue Jun 10 2003 - 06:51:41 MDT