Enhancing electrochemical methods for producing and regenerating alane by using electrochemical catalytic additive
View Patent ↗A process of using an electrochemical cell to generate aluminum hydride (AlH 3 ) and other high capacity hydrides is provided. The electrolytic cell uses an electro-catalytic-additive within a polar non-salt containing solvent to solubilize an ionic hydride such as NaAlH 4 or LiAlH 4 . The resulting electrochemical process results in the formation of AlH 3 adduct. AlH 3 is obtained from the adduct by heating under vacuum. The AlH 3 can be recovered and used as a source of hydrogen for the automotive industry. The resulting spent aluminum can be regenerated into NaAlH 4 or LiAlH 4 as part of a closed loop process of AlH 3 generation.
1. An electrochemical process of producing AlH 3 comprising:
supplying an anode;
supplying a cathode;
placing said anode and said cathode in an electrolytic solution consisting of THF, an electro-catalytic-additive wherein said electrode-catalytic additive is a halide according to the formula MX where M is Li or Na and X is F, Cl, Br, or I, and an electrolyte selected from the group consisting of NaAlH 4 , LiAlH 4 , KAlH 4 , triethylenediamines, aluminum etherates, and combinations thereof, wherein the electro-catalytic-additive does not act as an electrolyte within the electrolytic solution by having no significant effect on resistance or conductivity of the electrolytic solution; and
passing a current through the electrochemical cell to form an alane adduct, with the electro-catalytic-additive increasing the current passing through the electrochemical cell thereby increasing an efficiency in the formation in the alane adduct; and
recovering AlH 3 from the alane adduct.
2. The process according to claim 1 wherein said anode is an aluminum or palladium anode.
3. The process according to claim 1 wherein said cathode is a platinum or palladium hydride cathode.
4. The process according to claim 1 comprising the additional step of removing AlH 3 from a surface of said anode.
5. The process according to claim 1 wherein said cathode is platinum and, atomization of hydrogen occurs at said cathode.
6. The process according to claim 1 wherein anode is an aluminum and said cathode is platinum and the electrolyte comprises NaAlH 4 and a triethylenediamine to generate AlH 3 -triethylenediamine.
7. The electrochemical process of producing AlH 3 comprising:
supplying an anode selected from the materials of palladium, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, or hydride forming metals;
supplying a cathode selected from platinum or a metallic hydride;
recovering aluminum from dehydrided AlH 3 ;
forming LiAlH 4 from direct hydrogenation of the recovered aluminum;
placing said anode and said cathode in an electrolytic solution consisting essentially of THF, an electro-catalytic-additive wherein said electrode-catalytic additive is a halide according to the formula MX where M is Li or Na and X is F, Cl, Br, or I, and the formed LiAlH 4 , wherein the electro-catalytic-additive does not act as an electrolyte within the electrolytic solution by having no significant effect on resistance or conductivity of the electrolytic solution;
passing a current through the electrochemical cell to form AlH 3 adduct with the electro-catalytic-additive increasing the current passing through the electrochemical cell thereby increasing an efficiency in the formation in the AlH 3 adduct; and,
heating the AlH 3 adduct in a vacuum and thereby recovering AlH 3 .
8. An electrochemical process of producing an alane comprising:
supplying an, anode selected from the materials of palladium, titanium, zirconium, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, and, combinations thereof;
supplying a cathode selected from the materials of platinum, a metallic hydride, and combinations thereof;
placing said anode and said cathode in an electrolytic solution consisting essentially of THF, an electro-catalytic-additive wherein said electrode-catalytic additive is a halide according to the formula MX where M is Li or Na and X is F, Cl, Br, or I, and an electrolyte selected from the group consisting of NaAlH 4 , LiAlH 4 , KAlH 4 , triethylenediamines, aluminum etherates, and combinations thereof, wherein the electro-catalytic-additive does not act as an electrolyte within the electrolytic solution by having no significant effect on resistance or conductivity of the electrolytic solution; and
passing a current through the electrochemical cell to form an alane adduct with the electro-catalytic-additive increasing the current passing through the electrochemical cell thereby increasing an efficiency in the formation in the alane adduct.
9. The process according to claim 8 further comprising forming LiAlH 4 from a dehydrided AlH 3 , wherein the electrolyte in said electrolytic solution is LiAlH 4 .
10. The process according to claim 8 wherein said cathode is platinum and, atomization of hydrogen occurs at said cathode.