Breakthrough: Aluminum/Gallium Alloy to Extract Hydrogen from Water - 1/9/08

By accident, Purdue University engineer Jerry Woodall has discovered a method using an aluminum/gallium alloy to extract hydrogen from water.  Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells and internal combustion engines possibly replacing gasoline.  Hydrogen is the most common element on earth.  In the past, the amount of energy used to remove hydrogen from water was not economically feasible.  You did not end up with net energy in the process. 

Woodall’s method also makes it unnecessary to store or transport hydrogen which was a major challenge.  Building a distribution infrastructure is also a major challenge in creating a hydrogen economy.  “The hydrogen is generated on demand, so you only produce as much as you need when you need it,” said Woodall.  In theory the process could replace gasoline.

When an alloy made from aluminum and gallium is added to water hydrogen is instantly generated.  The aluminum has a strong attraction to the oxygen in the water.  The gallium hinders the formation of a skin normally created on aluminum’s surface, which prevents oxygen from reacting with aluminum.  The reaction splits the oxygen and hydrogen in the water releasing hydrogen in the process.  The waste products are gallium and aluminum oxide, also called alumina. Combusting hydrogen in an engine produces only water as waste.

Gallium is critical because it melts at low temperature and readily dissolves with aluminum. This was a totally surprising discovery for Woodall, since it is well known that pure solid aluminum does not readily react with water.

The Gallium is not used up in the process and can be recycled.  If the aluminum oxide left over from the process could be recycled economically this could really be a solution. 

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