Scientists Managed To Obtain Environmentally Friendly Fuel From Aluminum Cans And Seawater
Date
7/29/2024 3:14:21 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews)
By Alimat Aliyeva
American scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology have developed a method for producing hydrogen fuel from
empty aluminum cans, seawater and caffeine,
Azernews reports.
The team built a small hydrogen reactor. Aluminum pellets from
recycled beverage containers are loaded into it. Recyclables are
pre-treated with an alloy of gallium and indium, which prevents the
formation of a protective oxide film when the metal comes into
contact with salt water.
Since the reaction was slow due to the ions present in the
liquid, the researchers added a little caffeine to the solution,
since its active element imidazole significantly accelerates the
process. With its help, aluminum gives off as much hydrogen in five
minutes as it would produce in two hours without a catalyst.
Experiments have shown that one prepared aluminum pellet emits 400
milliliters of hydrogen, and 1 gram of granules emits 1.3 liters of
combustible gas.
According to the engineers, their installation can solve the
problem of storing and transporting hydrogen fuel, since this gas
is difficult and unsafe to transport due to its powerful oxidizing
properties and high volatility. Instead, experts suggest using
stable aluminum, producing hydrogen on site as needed.
According to them, a supply of 20 kilograms of pellets could
supply energy to a small underwater vehicle for 30 days by pumping
the surrounding seawater into the installation.
In the future, the researchers intend to find a way to extract
water from the air so that their reactor can be used for ground
equipment without having to carry a supply of liquid.
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