Hydrogen Production Properties of Aluminum–Magnesium Alloy Presenting β-Phase Al₃Mg₂

Abstract

In this study, aluminum–magnesium (Al-Mg) bulk porous materials were fabricated by using uniaxial hot pressing to control the porosity rate of the material over a wide range (up to 50%). The fabricated materials were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results demonstrated the appearance of intermetallic (IM) phase Al3Mg2, and its quantity increased with the applied pressure. In the context of the decline of global fossil fuel reserves, the revalorization of these materials by hydrogen (H2) production was investigated. Hydrolysis of the Al-Mg materials was carried out in a simulated seawater solution (aqueous solution of sodium chloride 35 g/L). The results showed the role of the porosity rate in the H2 production properties of the fabricated materials; the increase of porosity rate from 10% to 50% cuts the reaction time in half. Finally, the role of IM phase Al3Mg2 in H2 production was highlighted through galvanic coupling.

Keywords

• Al-Mg alloys
• intermetallic phases
• uniaxial hot pressing
• hydrogen production
• hydrolysis