Hydrogen production from Al–Cu alloy using electric vehicle's waste DC motor coils

Abstract

Electric vehicles are a viable alternative for internal combustion engine cars to overcome transportation problems due to high fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Due to their direct current motor and battery technologies' technological development, they have become an efficient transportation option in the last decades. However, the rapid spread of electric vehicles will bring huge dump problems for the environment. Thus, policies related to the recycling of their components must be carried out. In this study, an Al–Cu alloy is developed from the waste direct current motor's Cu rotor coils and pure Al for hydrolysis reactions. Then, 2 wt%, 4 wt% and 6 wt% Cu are added to pure Al to observe different Cu addition to Al–Cu alloy's hydrogen production performance to varying temperatures like 40, 60, and 80 °C. In 40 °C, 6 wt% Cu added Al alloy has around two-fold higher hydrogen production than pure Al. Moreover, the hydrolysis reaction's activation energy is decreased from 81.56 to 35.5 kJ mol −1 in 6 wt% Cu added Al alloy. • Al–Cu alloy is developed from waste DC motor's Cu rotor coils and pure Al. • Activation energy is decreased from 81.56 to 35.5 kJ mol −1 in AlCu6 alloy. • In AlCu6 alloy, 0.17 ml s − 1 hydrogen generation rate is obtained at 40 °C. • Corr rate of the pure Al is changed from 28.78 to 86.56 ml g −1 min −1 by 6 wt% Cu addition.