The team prefers scrap aluminum over pure aluminum when it comes to generating hydrogen.
Hydrogen has the potential to replace fossil fuels in jet engines, for the generation of electricity, and even for long-term storage of energy. However, for extensive usage, gas needs to be transported from its site of manufacture to utilization, which is currently fossil-fuel-powered as well. Additionally, even the generation of hydrogen results in the release of greenhouse gases, which quite beats the purpose of using hydrogen in the first place.
Dr. Laureen Meroueh along with Professor Douglas Hart and Professor Thomas Eager at MIT have shown that hydrogen can be generated by reacting aluminum with water. The reaction occurs at normal room temperature and leads to the formation of aluminum hydroxide while releasing hydrogen gas. There are two major reasons why this reaction is not commonly used today; one is that aluminum reacts more readily with the oxygen in the air and forms aluminum oxide. The compound prevents aluminum from reacting with water. Therefore, for the reaction to occur, one simply needs to remove the top layer of aluminum oxide and drop the aluminum in water, while ensuring that the aluminum oxide is not formed again.
On the other hand, pure aluminum could be used for the reaction as well, however, it is energy-intensive and not environment-friendly. Aluminum is used in everyday items like soft-drink cans and often ends as scrap. Therefore, the researchers wanted to use scrap aluminum to source the fuel. However, the aluminum used in these items is often mixed with other elements like silicon, magnesium or both, to give it additional properties like corrosion resistance and strength.
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