Hydrogen-generating compositions for a fuel cell
Various embodiments disclosed related to hydrogen-generating compositions for a fuel cell. In various embodiments, the present invention provides a hydrogen-generating composition comprising a hydride and a Lewis acid. Various embodiments provide methods of using a hydrogen fuel cell including generating hydrogen gas using the composition, fuel cell systems including the composition, and methods of making the composition.
1. A hydrogen-generating composition for a fuel cell, wherein the hydrogen-generating composition consisting essentially of:
a hydride, wherein the hydride is lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH 4 ) and is about 50 wt % to about 99.999 wt % of the hydrogen-generating composition, and wherein the hydrogen-generating composition is free of other hydrides; and
a Lewis acid chosen from aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), aluminum bromide (AlBr 3 ), aluminum fluoride (AlF 3 ), stannous (II) chloride (SnCl 2 ), stannous (II) bromide (SnBr 2 ), stannous (II) fluoride (SnF 2 ), zirconium (IV) chloride (ZrCl 4 ), zirconium (IV) bromide (ZrBr 4 ), zirconium (IV) fluoride (ZrF 4 ), tungsten (VI) chloride (WCl 6 ), tungsten (VI) bromide (WBr 6 ), tungsten (VI) fluoride (WF 6 ), zinc bromide (ZnBr 2 ), zinc fluoride (ZnF 2 ), ferric (III) chloride (FeCl 3 ), ferric (III) bromide (FeBr 3 ), ferric (III) fluoride (FeF 3 ), vanadium (III) chloride, vanadium (III) bromide, vanadium (III) fluoride, and combinations thereof; and
optionally a metal oxide.
2. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 , wherein the Lewis acid is about 0.001 wt % to about 50 wt % of the hydrogen-generating composition.
3. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 , wherein the Lewis acid is chosen from aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), zirconium (IV) chloride (ZrCl 4 ), and a combination thereof.
4. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 , wherein the Lewis acid is zirconium (IV) chloride (ZrCl 4 ).
5. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 , further comprising a metal oxide.
6. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 5 , wherein the metal oxide is about 0.001 wt % to about 20 wt % of the hydrogen-generating composition.
7. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 5 , wherein the metal oxide is zirconium (IV) oxide, hafnium (IV) oxide, titanium (IV) oxide, or a combination thereof.
8. A fuel cell system comprising:
the hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 ; and
a hydrogen fuel cell fluidly connected to the hydrogen-generating composition.
9. A method of making the hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 , the method comprising:
forming a starting composition comprising the hydride and the Lewis acid; and
mixing the starting composition, to form the hydrogen-generating composition of claim 1 .
10. A hydrogen-generating composition for a fuel cell, the hydrogen-generating composition consisting essentially of:
a hydride that is lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH 4 ), wherein the hydride is about 70 wt % to about 99.9 wt % of the hydrogen-generating composition, wherein the hydrogen-generating composition is free of other hydrides;
a Lewis acid chosen from aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), zirconium (IV) chloride (ZrCl 4 ), and a combination thereof, wherein the Lewis acid is about 0.1 wt % to about 30 wt % of the hydrogen-generating composition; and
optionally a metal oxide.
11. A method of using a hydrogen fuel cell, the method comprising:
contacting a hydrogen-generating composition with water vapor produced by the hydrogen fuel cell, to form hydrogen gas, the hydrogen-generating composition consisting essentially of:
a hydride, wherein the hydride is lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH 4 ) and wherein the hydrogen-generating composition is free of other hydrides, and
a Lewis acid chosen from aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), aluminum bromide (AlBr 3 ), aluminum fluoride (AlF 3 ), stannous (II) chloride (SnCl 2 ), stannous (II) bromide (SnBr 2 ), stannous (II) fluoride (SnF 2 ), zirconium (IV) chloride (ZrCl 4 ), zirconium (IV) bromide (ZrBr 4 ), zirconium (IV) fluoride (ZrF 4 ), tungsten (VI) chloride (WCl 6 ), tungsten (VI) bromide (WBr 6 ), tungsten (VI) fluoride (WF 6 ), zinc bromide (ZnBr 2 ), zinc fluoride (ZnF 2 ), ferric (III) chloride (FeCl 3 ), ferric (III) bromide (FeBr 3 ), ferric (III) fluoride (FeF 3 ), vanadium (III) chloride, vanadium (III) bromide, vanadium (III) fluoride, and combinations thereof; and
optionally a metal oxide; and
supplying the hydrogen gas to an electrode of the hydrogen fuel cell.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the Lewis acid chosen from aluminum chloride (AlCl 3 ), zirconium (IV) chloride (ZrCl 4 ), and a combination thereof.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal oxide is zirconium (IV) oxide, hafnium (IV) oxide, titanium (IV) oxide, or a combination thereof.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the metal oxide is titanium (IV) oxide.
15. The hydrogen-generating composition of claim 5 , wherein the metal oxide is titanium (IV) oxide.