Method for production of power from aluminum
OwnerNagi Hatouminventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Aluminum is treated with an agent to prevent passivation of the aluminum during oxidation. The passivation preventing agent is a metal alloy containing gallium, preferably a eutectic alloy of gallium, indium and tin. The surface of the metallic aluminum is wetted with the eutectic alloy, suitably by scouring and/or immersion. The treated aluminum may be mixed with water, hydrogen peroxide or other suitable oxidizer in a controlled manner to produce hydrogen, heat, steam or oxygen for the use in power generation or chemical reactions. The passivation removal agent can be used in small quantities and is readily recoverable following the reaction.
Claims14
A method of production of hydrogen, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing an aluminum material;
- applying to said aluminum material an eutectic alloy containing gallium in an amount effective to prevent passivation of said aluminum material;
- reacting said aluminum material to which said eutectic alloy has been applied with a hydrogen-containing oxidant so as to generate hydrogen and heat;
- and
- recovering aluminum oxide and at least a portion of said eutectic alloy following reaction of said aluminum material with said oxidant, the step of recovering at least a portion of said eutectic alloy comprising:
- mixing a base with products of the reaction so as to precipitate said portion of said eutectic alloy from a suspension of said aluminum oxide.
A method of production of hydrogen, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing a plurality of bodies of solid aluminum material;
- wetting exposed surfaces of said bodies of aluminum material with an eutectic alloy containing gallium in an amount effective to prevent passivation of said aluminum material so that said eutectic alloy spreads out over said surfaces of said bodies of aluminum material;
- and
- reacting said bodies of aluminum material having said wetted surfaces with a hydrogen-containing oxidant so as to generate hydrogen and heat.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.