Abstract
Background: Hydrogen energy is a solution for the energy crisis. As it is known, the result of hydrogen combustion is water vapor. This means that there is no pollution.
Objective: This study investigates hydrogen production of pure aluminum (Al) and aluminum -silicon alloy (Al-Si). The investigation has been processed in the presence of 10% and 15% of sulphuric acid (H2SO4) at room temperature 50°C. Methods: Weight loss measurements, logical calculations and scanned surfaces have been applied as tools for investigation. Scanning electron microscope and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) have been used for investigating crystal structure and surface morphology, respectively. Results and Conclusion: Hydrogen production of pure Al and Al-Si alloy is affected by some factors, such as H2SO4 concentrations, temperature and immersion time. As observed, the hydrogen production of the pure Al and Al-Si alloy is nearly similar during the first hour of immersion. Pure Al produces amounts of hydrogen more than Al-Si alloy, especially in 15% H2SO4 at 50°C and after 5 hours of sample immersion. Adherent and strong passive oxide layer forms on the Al surface. This passive layer protects the surface from corrosion during first hour of immersion at RT, but hydrogen production rate increases with increasing temperature and acid concentration. SEM measurement shows surface roughness due to oxide film breakdown. XRD shows the effect of experimental conditions, immersion time, acid concentration and temperature, on the crystal phases of the Al and its alloy.Keywords: Al alloy, hydrogen production, H2SO4, renewable energy, weight loss, X-Ray diffraction.
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