Fabrication of Al-Ni Alloys for Fast Hydrogen Production from Hydrolysis in Alkaline Water

Hydrogen generation through the hydrolysis of aluminum alloys has attracted significant attention because it generates hydrogen directly from alkaline water without the need for hydrogen storage technology. The hydrogen generation rate from the hydrolysis of aluminum in alkaline water is linearly proportional to its corrosion rate. To accelerate the corrosion rate of the aluminum alloy, we designed Al-Ni alloys by continuously precipitating an electrochemically noble Al3Ni phase along the grain boundaries. The Al-0.5 similar to 1 wt.% Ni alloys showed an excellent hydrogen generation rate of 16.6 mL/cm(2)center dot min, which is about 6.4 times faster than that of pure Al (2.58 mL/cm(2)center dot min). This excellent performance was achieved through the synergistic effects of galvanic and intergranular corrosion on the hydrolysis of Al. By raising the solution temperature to 50 degrees C, the optimal rate of hydrogen generation of Al-1 wt.% Ni in 10 wt.% NaOH solutions at 30 degrees C can be further increased to 54.5 mL/cm(2)center dot min.