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Thursday, May 15, 2008 Hydrogen Fuel from Formic AcidA simple new process generates hydrogen for fuel cells. By Prachi Patel-Predd
New research shows that formic acid could be used as a safe, easy-to-transport source of hydrogen for fuel cells. Matthias Beller and his colleagues at the Leibniz Institute of Catalysis, in Rostock, Germany, have found a way to convert formic acid, a common preservative and antibacterial agent, into hydrogen gas at low temperatures. While hydrogen produced using this method might not find use in fuel-cell vehicles anytime soon, the researchers say that the process could produce sufficient quantities for micro fuel cells that power portable electronic devices, such as cell phones and laptops. The challenge of producing, storing, and transporting hydrogen affordably has kept fuel cells from becoming popular. Instead of transporting hydrogen gas, it is more practical to have a hydrogen-containing material that can be broken down to generate the gas where it is needed. Currently, methane and methanol top the list of hydrogen sources for fuel-cell vehicles. They are typically broken down via steam reforming, which requires temperatures of more than 200 °C and a reforming unit. Processes that work at cooler temperatures would not need a reformer or much energy, and therefore could be more suitable for producing hydrogen for smaller fuel cells that power portable electronic devices. The new process, which Beller and his colleagues outline in Angewandte Chemie, works at temperatures of 26 to 40 °C. The researchers mix formic acid with amines and expose the mixture to a ruthenium-based catalyst, which breaks down the acid into hydrogen and carbon dioxide. "The advantage of formic acid is [that] it's a liquid . . . and is relatively easily handled," Beller says. While the pure acid is corrosive, the mixture of the acid with amines is benign, he says. Formic acid can also be used directly in a fuel cell. That might be easier because it saves the extra step of first converting it into hydrogen. Tekion, based in Burnaby, Canada, is working with Germany-based chemical giant BASF, the largest producer of formic acid, to commercialize a fuel cell that uses formic acid directly. Tekion, which does not have a product on the market yet, claims that its formic-acid fuel cells are smaller and less complex than direct methanol fuel cells. But direct formic-acid fuel cells have the same drawback that makes methanol fuel cells expensive: both technologies are less efficient than hydrogen fuel cells. Beller points out that using formic acid to make hydrogen also has drawbacks. Compared with methane and methanol, formic acid has much less hydrogen. If you use all the hydrogen in a kilogram of methanol, you get 4.19 kilowatt-hours of energy, while the hydrogen in a kilogram of formic acid gives 1.45 kilowatt-hours. |
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More-Powerful Fuel Cells
05/22/2008
Comments
jpdemers on 05/15/2008 at 3:05 AM
29
fkearney on 05/15/2008 at 8:53 AM
1
What is the fate of the amine? That's a disposal issue and a drain on efficiency unless it can be recycled.
I'm not sure if we'll see enough formic acid gereation to fuel vehicles, etc. However, if the CO from a syngas stream is converted to formic acid, this could be a good way to make use of that energy on its way to CO2.
nuubik on 05/15/2008 at 10:15 AM
1
Out comes H2 AlO2 and Gallium works as a catalyst and does not react.
AlO2 and Gallium can be sored and recycled. AlO2 is restured to Al the same Gallium is added back and O is released.
Basically energy goes from refurb. plant to car no side effects if the energy is green.
http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/08/29/purdue-on-demand-hydrogen-from-aluminum-gallium-and-water/
johnnybravo411 on 05/15/2008 at 12:01 PM
2
Uhh -- "burning methanol" is going to release CO2 as well. Nice try.
In any event, if we're talking about using this for small devices only, the amount of CO2 produced is going to be completely negligible compared to other large producers.
jpdemers on 05/16/2008 at 1:22 AM
29
Methanol can come from coal or syngas, which is a plus if we're tying to cut oil imports. (I don't know where formic acid comes from, but I suspect it can be traced to syngas.) Neither fuel "solves" the CO2 problem, but the efficiency of hybrids ought to cut emissions substantially.
dansteingart on 05/15/2008 at 11:45 AM
1
"Beller points out that using formic acid to make hydrogen also has drawbacks. Compared with methane and methanol, formic acid has much less hydrogen. If you use all the hydrogen in a kilogram of methanol, you get 4.19 kilowatts of power, while the hydrogen in formic acid gives 1.45 kilowatts."
I'm guessing you meant kWh.
johnnybravo411 on 05/15/2008 at 11:55 AM
2
MakeSense on 05/16/2008 at 9:34 AM
61
MakeSense on 05/16/2008 at 9:38 AM
61
nekote on 05/16/2008 at 11:59 AM
109
Gold at ~900USD per troy ounce.
MakeSense on 05/16/2008 at 2:43 PM
61
zig158 on 05/17/2008 at 12:44 AM
42
You take finely ground magnesium powder and mix it with water. The Oxygen in the water binds with the magnesium releasing the H2 “enter fuel cell”. When the magnesium is all converted into magnesium oxide you return it to the store and get some new stuff. Much like LP tank exchange. At this point a laser can be used to de-oxidize the magnesium. This method is as clean as the energy source used to power the laser. A kitten fired steam generator for all I care.
jpdemers on 06/19/2008 at 2:34 AM
29