Fuel Cells Might Get Hydrogen From Water, Organic Material

[jokerman93]

Source: Purdue University
Date: 2005-08-31

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – A novel technique for producing hydrogen from water and organic material has been found recently at Purdue University, a discovery that could help speed the creation of viable hydrogen storage technology.

Though the method has not yet been evaluated for economic feasibility on a large scale, chemist Mahdi Abu-Omar said it could offer solutions to several problems facing developers of fuel cells, which are looked upon as a potential replacement to fossil-fuel burning engines in automobiles. The technique requires only water, a catalyst based on the metal rhenium (REE-nee-um) and an organic liquid called an organosilane, which can be stored and transported easily.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/08/050831071741.htm

Is this a retread of old news? Anyone know?

[Canuckistanian]

1. Ah, this is the start of the Rhenium Wars of the late 21st century...

Chile and Uzbekistan will fight a major war for control of this valuable resource.

[freethought]

2. Organosilanes! Uuughh!

I used to deal with silanes of various types some time ago. I used to do haz waste disposal for laboratories and the like. Silanes can be nasty stuff, fuming and corrosive. Early on I remember one fellow exposed his hand and part of his ear to a chlorinated silane. His hand is scared for life and he last part, albeit a small part, of his ear.

Nonetheless, this is some good news. I hope it is possible to scale it up. Raise a toast to Science!!

[NNadir]

4. Chlorinated silanes can be bad, but many silanes are fine.

Stopcock grease is, I think a silane. So are certain oil baths.

The rhenium part is more problematic. Rhenium is a very rare element, and very expensive.

It think it easier to reform methanol or better dimethyl ether to give hydrogen and CO.

[energyjunkie]

3. Still have a ways to go though

with hydrogen fuel cells. Lack the infrastructure, have to pressurize the heck out of it. You may want to look around Ford's website - the CEO of Ford is the most dedicated to getting us off of oil and on to hydrogen (Ford's present problems not withstanding).