Study introduces lead-coated nickel catalyst for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction efficiency

In a recent collaboration, a research team developed a hydrogen evolution reaction catalyst that minimizes degradation caused by reverse current in alkaline water electrolysis systems. The team consists of Professor Yong-Tae Kim, Dr. Sang-Mun Jung, and Yoona Kim, an MSc, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) and is led by Professor Jeong Woo Han from Seoul National University. Their research was published as a cover paper in the journal Advanced Functional Materials on July 3. The electricity generated from the renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal are not constant; it fluctuates with weather and climate conditions. To harness and utilize this energy, it must be reliably stored and delivered to the grid, and hydrogen plays a crucial role in this process.

Novel two-step electrolysis of water proposed for hydrogen production

A research team led by Prof. Chen Changlun from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with collaborators, developed advanced cobalt-doped nickel hydroxide bipolar electrodes and non-noble metal catalysts, which significantly improved the efficiency and stability of two-step water electrolysis for hydrogen production. The results were published in the Chemical Engineering Journal and the Journal of Colloid and Interface Science. Traditional alkaline electrolyzers face problems such as mismatch with fluctuating renewable energy sources and hydrogen/oxygen mixing under high pressure, which limit their applications. Two-step water electrolysis overcomes these problems by completely separating hydrogen and oxygen production in time and space using a bipolar electrode, eliminating the need for a costly membrane separator.

Case Study: Bay Bridge Bolt Failure

Also known as the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge, the east section of the Bay Bridge collapsed in 1989 as a result of earthquakes in the area. The decision was eventually made to replace the entire bridge with a more earthquake resistant structure, with the western portion begining construction in 2004. In 2013 the eastern section of the new bridge was completed. However, construction did not go as planned. When pre-tension was applied, before finalization of construction, 32 of 96 A354BD bolts fractured within two weeks.

The bolts that failed were placed in 2008 as part of the shear keys meant to increase seismic resistance, meaning they did not contribute to the structure of the bridge. After the failure, all 96 bolts in the shear keys were considered suspect and alternative anchors were devised. However, the A354BD bolts were used in other places of construction so a detailed metallurgical analysis was conducted to ensure the bolts throughout the bridge would not fail as well. The failure was ultimately determined to be a result of hydrogen embrittlement. It was also eventually concluded that this was a result of the environment the rods were subjected to (seawater), not the manufacturing process, and the bolts used elsewhere throughout the bridge were allowed to remain supplemental corrosion protection measures.

Sources/Further Reading: (Images source - Structure Magazine) (TBPOC Report) (TWI Presentation)

#Bolt #Materials Science #Science #Materials Failure #Hydrogen #Architecture #FailureFriday #2024Daily

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Astrophotography Basics: Signal, Noise and Histograms

As astrophotographers, we must be deeply versed not only in image acquisition, but also in image processing. The effort required to process

Nature Photography

hydrogen spectrum

khadley.com

#Hydrogen atom spectrum #Hydrogen #atom #spectrum #astrology #astronomy #stem #Stm image #histogram #astrophotography

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materialsscienceandengineering

Nickel-laden black gold converts CO2 to chemicals using solar energy and green hydrogen

CO2 hydrogenation with green hydrogen is one of the best processes to combat climate change and can provide a single solution to three challenging problems, 1) excessive CO2 levels, 2) the temporal mismatch between solar electricity production and demand, and 3) hydrogen gas storage. However, the CO2 hydrogenation reaction needs very high temperatures, causing quick deactivation of the catalyst.

In new work published in ACS Nano, researchers at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai, asked the question of whether this high-temperature CO2hydrogenation can be catalyzed at room to moderate temperature via plasmonic excitation of H2 and CO2 using plasmonic catalyst. They have demonstrated that plasmonic black gold-nickel efficiently catalyzes CO2 hydrogenation using visible light.

The reaction took place as low as 84 to 223°C without external heating. Researchers found a multifold increase in the catalytic activity as compared to DPC-C4 to the extent that measurable photoactivity was only observed with DPC-C4-Ni. It showed the best-reported CO production rate of 2464± 40 mmol gNi-1 h-1 and selectivity greater than 95% in the flow conditions. The catalyst showed extraordinary stability (100 h).