A new way to produce hydrogen with aluminum and water

Penn State University and Virginia Commonwealth University scientists have discovered a way to produce hydrogen by exposing selected clusters of aluminum atoms to water. The artist's concept shows aluminum clusters reacting with water to produce hydrogen. The image on the bottom depicts a water molecule. One hydrogen atom (red ball) and two oxygen atoms (silver balls) split on the surface of an aluminum cluster. The blue regions are Lewis-acid sites and the orange regions are Lewis-base sites. The upper-right image shows multiple water molecules binding to the active sites of an aluminum cluster. The upper-left image shows the release of hydrogen (two silver balls surrounded by orange halo). Learn more.

Effects of ultrasonic vibration on degassing of aluminum alloys

Recent research on aluminum degassing

Hanbing Xu, Qingyou Han and Thomas T. Meek, Effects of ultrasonic vibration on degassing of aluminum alloys, Materials Science and Engineering: AVolume 473, Issues 1-2, , 25 January 2008, Pages 96-104. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6TXD-4NJ0TJG-1/2/ca2e31f0340a039b472216f225528b04)

Abstract: In order to investigate the effects of ultrasonic vibration on degassing of aluminum alloys, three experimental systems have been designed and built: one for ultrasonic degassing in open air, one for ultrasonic degassing under reduced pressure, and one for ultrasonic degassing with a purging gas. Experiments were first carried out in air to test degassing using ultrasonic vibration alone. The limitations with ultrasonic degassing were outlined. Further experiments were then performed under reduced pressures and in combination with purging argon gas. Experimental results suggest that ultrasonic vibration alone is efficient for degassing a small volume of melt. Ultrasonic vibration can be used for assisting vacuum degassing, making vacuum degassing much faster than that without using ultrasonic vibration. Ultrasonically assisted argon degassing is the fastest method for degassing among the three methods tested in this research. More importantly, dross formation during ultrasonically assisted argon degassing is much less than that during argon degassing. The mechanisms of ultrasonic degassing are discussed.

doi:10.1016/j.msea.2007.04.040 Available through sciencedirect.com