Abstract
High purity hydrogen and solid-state byproducts are produced using a proposed plasma-activated aluminum and water reactions approach. These byproducts could be transformed into pure gamma Al2O3 powder material, while hydrogen can be used for electricity generation. Various chemical methods can be used for the synthesis of gamma alumina, but most could result in high levels of remaining impurities. Boehmite is a cost-effective starting material for the production of high-purity Al2O3. Herein, we present a novel method for the synthesis of boehmite and its transformation into high-specific-surface-area γ-alumina. Specifically, this method implicates the direct reaction between distilled water and plasma-treated aluminum powder. The results show the structural and morphological changes of the byproduct of the aluminum/water reaction to boehmite and γ-Al2O3 after a simple heating procedure (at 280 and 500 °C respectively). The high-purity hydrogen produced during the aluminum/water reaction can be used for the high-efficiency and environmentally friendly production of electrical energy.
Highlights
Aluminum oxide is a polymorphic material that exists in various metastable phases (γ, η, θ, χ, δ, and κ) and one thermodynamically stable α phase: alumina [1]
We demonstrate a proof of concept of an original method for the production of gamma alumina with a specific surface area larger than 200 m2 /g and a crystallite size of 3–10 nm
This paper shows novel production method of gamma alumina at the laboratory scale, but the system has a potential to be scalable and affordable production of boehmite and gamma alumina (2 kg of gamma alumina can be produced using 1 kg of aluminum) is possible especially for the sectors where only pure gamma alumina is required because of the inexpensive materials used in our technological approach, and the hydrogen produced which can be used for electricity generation
Summary
Aluminum oxide is a polymorphic material that exists in various metastable phases (γ, η, θ, χ, δ, and κ) and one thermodynamically stable α phase: alumina [1]. Γ-Al2 O3 has many industrial applications, especially in the petroleum industry [6,7], automotive emission control [8], biodiesel production [9], optoelectronics [10,11], water treatment [12], membranes [13], and the improvement of wear behavior [14] Such a polymorphic structure is considered to be a defective structure with coordinatively unsaturated aluminum cations and oxygen anions acting as acidic and basic sites, respectively [1,5]. Hydrophobic aluminum surface was transformed into a hydrophilic surface as water contact angle decreased about three times, and the aluminum particles sank into the water immediately after immersion This led to a fast aluminum/water reaction at 40 ◦ C and the production of hydrogen and a solid reaction byproduct. This paper shows novel production method of gamma alumina at the laboratory scale, but the system has a potential to be scalable and affordable production of boehmite and gamma alumina (2 kg of gamma alumina can be produced using 1 kg of aluminum) is possible especially for the sectors where only pure gamma alumina is required because of the inexpensive materials used in our technological approach, and the hydrogen produced which can be used for electricity generation
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