Abstract
For the purpose of investigating the effect of Zn replacement of In3Sn on the hydrogen production performance of Al-rich alloy ingots, Al-Ga-In3Sn alloys with various Zn dosages (0–5 wt.%) were prepared by a traditional melting and casting technique. The phase compositions and microstructures were characterized using X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) with an Energy Dispersed X-ray system (EDS). The SEM results indicate that, with a small amount of Zn instead of In3Sn, the number and total area of grain boundary (GB) phases will decrease gradually, and the average single GB area will eventually stabilize. The distribution of Zn in the alloy is similar to that of Ga, and an area with high Zn content appeared in the high-Zn-doped sample. The melting behaviors of Al with other metals were measured by DSC. The reaction of these alloys and water were investigated at different temperatures. Compared with Al-Ga-In3Sn alloy, low addition of Zn changed the composition of GB phase and increased the maximum hydrogen production rate. The reason for the changes in the hydrolysis reaction of Al with the addition of Zn was discussed.
Highlights
Due to the limited world proven reserves and environmental degradation caused by fossil fuel consumption, it is clear that social development based on traditional energy sources is not sustainable.it has been an irresistible trend to find alternate green energy which appeals for a clean, co-development and efficient energy future [1,2,3]
As the sample was put into water, they split into small pieces at reaction rate increased markedly
The results indicate that the relative content of Zn and In3Sn has a certain effect on the formation of grain boundary (GB) phase, and these phenomena need to be further explained in conjunction with EDX data
Summary
Due to the limited world proven reserves and environmental degradation caused by fossil fuel consumption, it is clear that social development based on traditional energy sources is not sustainable.it has been an irresistible trend to find alternate green energy which appeals for a clean, co-development and efficient energy future [1,2,3]. The water produced after hydrogen energy combustion is absolutely clean and will not cause environmental pollution. In the past few decades, the main approaches to produce hydrogen could be grouped into the following categories [4,5,6,7]: water electrolysis, fossil fuel gasification, chemical processing techniques and biological methods. Many problems need to be solved, such as expensive cost, poor conversion efficiency, insecurity in hydrogen storage and transportation. In this case, it is extremely essential to produce hydrogen in situ, in the aspects of emergency power provided in disaster-stricken areas, portable electronic equipment and on board vehicles. Researchers are constantly looking for new ways of producing hydrogen gas
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