Hydrogen production by biomass product depolarized water electrolysis
AssigneeInstitute of Gas Technology
InventorMichael R. St. John
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Abstract
A process for hydrogen production by water electrolysis and a process of depolarizing the anode of a water electrolysis cell by oxidizing a biomass product which may be monosaccharides, lignins, and mixtures thereof. The process of this invention avoids molecular oxygen evolution and results in high purity hydrogen at cell potentials substantially less than required for normal water electrolysis involving oxygen evolution. The process utilizes biomass products which are readily available and cost effective. High consumption of biomass product is achieved with an anode of lead-rich ruthenium polychlore compounds.
Claims52
A process for hydrogen production by biomass product depolarized water electrolysis comprising:
- maintaining an electrical potential across an anode comprising metal selected from the group consisting of nickel and lead-rich ruthenium polychlore compounds having a formula Pb.sub.2 [Ru.sub.2-x Pb.sub.x ]0.sub.7-y wherein x is greater than 0 and less than or equal to about 1.2 and y is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to about 1.0 in a metallic anode zone and a metallic cathode in a cathode zone of an electrolytic cell;
- oxidizing, in an aqueous electrolyte in said electrolytic cell anode zone, oxidizable biomass product selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, lignins and mixtures thereof with water producing oxidized biomass product, hydrogen ions and electrons;
- transporting said hydrogen ions through said electrolyte to said cathode zone;
- forming molecular hydrogen in said cathode zone.
A process of depolarizing the anode of a water electrolysis cell having an electrical potential across a metallic anode selected from the group consisting of nickel and lead-rich ruthenium polychlore compounds having a formula Pb.sub.2 [Ru.sub.2-x Pb.sub.x ]O.sub.7-y wherein x is greater than 0 and less than or equal to about 1.2 and y is greater than or equal to 0 and less than or equal to about 1.0 in an anode zone and a metallic cathode in a cathode zone comprising:
- oxidizing in said anode zone oxidizable biomass product selected from the group consisting of monosaccharides, lignins and mixtures thereof with water producing oxidized biomass product, hydrogen ions and electrons, thereby avoiding molecular oxygen evolution.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.