Researchers find new metal combination for cheaper production of hydrogen as fuel

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Friday, June 27, 2003 | Paul Recer, The Associated Press

[Willie Green]

WASHINGTON -- Organic wastes such as paper mill sludge or cheese whey can be converted into hydrogen using an inexpensive metal catalyst, researchers say, in a process that could boost efforts to replace oil and gas fuels.

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin tested more than 300 metal combinations before finding that a mix of nickel, tin and aluminum could separate hydrogen from a mixture rich in glucose, a sugar common in many organic wastes. A report on the study appears today in the journal Science.

[Willie Green]

I suppose development of a new catalyst to release H₂ will have important ramifications.
But when it comes right down to it, the Carbon has to go someplace in this reaction.
Why in the world would they prefer CO₂ production rather than methane?
(especially when we're being confronted with a natural gas shortage? Hell, it's the same stuff!)
And why bother to go through all these gyrations to produce H₂ when we can simply use the waste materials to produce natural gas???

[ServesURight]

Willie Green Bump

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Good questions!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[Uncle Miltie]

"Organic wastes such as paper mill sludge or cheese whey can be converted into hydrogen using an inexpensive metal catalyst, researchers say, in a process that could boost efforts to replace oil and gas fuels."

Oh, my God. This technology will cause massive layoffs throughout the oil and gas industries. Improvements of this sort cannot be allowed to go forward, especially across international boundaries. It's globalist changes like this that threaten the few remaining jobs in America.

< /willie>

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

Why bother to go through all these gyrations to produce H2 when we can simply use the waste materials to produce natural gas/

No Congressionally mandated funding for that solution. Sort of like dictating the rocket ride into space for NASA as opposed to flying into space during the Kennedy administration.

Uhm, I forget, isn't CO2 a greenhouse gas?

[sourcery]

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin tested more than 300 metal combinations before finding that a mix of nickel, tin and aluminum could separate hydrogen from a mixture rich in glucose, a sugar common in many organic wastes.

Sweet.

[RightWhale]

If we use hydrogen fuel cells to power maglev trains, then we can all ride to the welfare office in smooth comfort and cleanair bliss. win-win

[Willie Green]

No Congressionally mandated funding for that solution.

Have you ever wondered how many congresscritters ever took a science class after they graduated high school?
I'm sure there may be a few, but not many!

Heck, mankind has already devised all kinds of technology to extract energy from the sucrose/glucose contained in organic "waste".
You don't want methane/natural gas?
OK, how about some kind of alcohol like ethanol or methonol?
That stuff will burn well as a fuel too!

It sure is puzzling why the congresscritters INSIST on researching how to produce the substance (H₂) with the LEAST energy content as a "fuel".
Sheeeeesh, what a bunch of stupid weiners!

Uhm, I forget, isn't CO2 a greenhouse gas?

Yeppity-do-dah.

[heckler]

One thing still hasn't changed. I still dont care to ride around in a vehicle that has been turned into a small weapon of mass destruction by the addition of a large canister of highly compressed, highly volatile fuel.

Also, you still need a lot of energy from some source to heat that mixture of sludge to 400 plus degrees. I dont know but I'm willing to bet that the amount of energy that you boil out of this stuff is still not equal to the amount of energy it took to extract it.

[Chemist_Geek]

One thing still hasn't changed. I still dont care to ride around in a vehicle that has been turned into a small weapon of mass destruction by the addition of a large canister of highly compressed, highly volatile fuel.

You mean like gasoline? ;-)

OBTW - the volatility of H₂ is a good thing; it floats up and away from the vehicle, instead of pooling underneath it.

[TC Rider]

Topping off the tank..

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[heckler]

So when it's parked in your garage overnight and a defective fitting starts to leak it floats up to the second story of your house where everyone sleeps?

[metalboy]

So I guess this means if the sun expands and threatens to burn up the earth and Bush sends people into outer space to try and stop it, the liberal mutts will start screaming "He`s doing it for the hydrogen"

[Chemist_Geek]

produce the substance (H₂) with the LEAST energy content as a "fuel".

Lowest specific energy (kWh/kg), sure. Lowest emissions and most efficient combustion, too...

[Chemist_Geek]

So when it's parked in your garage overnight and a defective fitting starts to leak it floats up to the second story of your house where everyone sleeps?

And keeps right on going. Do you have a house which is even air-tight?

Besides, there is a great deal of work ongoing in making H₂ storage meven more secure than it has been... A single fitting failure won't necesarily mean a leak.

[truth_seeker]

"...in a process that could boost efforts to replace oil and gas fuels."

Hurry up with this technology. "Fill er up with glucose."

Piss off osama and mohammed, and abdulah, et al. Take away the money, and they can just go back to being poor and backward.

[Gorzaloon]

Uhm, I forget, isn't CO2 a greenhouse gas?

Many hydrogen schemes, such as methane reformation and light metal hydride -->hydroxide carbothermal reduction cycles produce carbon and /or CO2.

But you usually have to read the footnotes to find that out.

Just another try at replacing the dot.bomb IPO's with nanotech/hydrogen/whatever works.

Ignore them. Or read them for amusement, but sit on your wallet and throw away your broker's phone number.

[Mike Darancette]

the volatility of H2 is a good thing; it floats up and away from the vehicle...

Does it float up to the Ozone Layer?

[Bryan24]

Got news for you. The government would NEVER approve the automobile today for public use were it not grandfathered in for the past 100 years of use.