Hydrogen production by the decomposition of water

Patent ·

OSTI ID:5325164

Hollabaugh, C M; Bowman, M G

A process is described for the production of hydrogen from water by a sulfuric acid process employing electrolysis and thermo-chemical decomposition. The water containing SO/sub 2/ is electrolyzed to produce H/sub 2/ at the cathode and to oxidize the SO/sub 2/ to form H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/ at the anode. After the H/sub 2/ has been separated, a compound of the type M/sub r/X/sub s/ is added to produce a water insoluble sulfate of M and a water insoluble oxide of the metal in the radical X. In the compound M/sub r/X/sub s/, M is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of Ba/sup 2 +/, Ca/sup 2 +/, Sr/sup 2 +/, La/sup 2 +/, and Pb/sup 2 +/; X is at least one radical selected from the group consisting of molybdate (MoO/sub 4//sup 2 -/), tungstate (WO/sub 4//sup 2 -/), and metaborate (BO/sub 2//sup 1 -/); and r and s are either 1, 2, or 3 depending upon the valence of M and X. The precipitated mixture is filtered and heated to a temperature sufficiently high to form SO/sub 3/ gas and to reform M/sub r/X/sub s/. The SO/sub 3/ is dissolved in a small amount of H/sub 2/O to produce concentrated H/sub 2/SO/sub 4/, and the M/sub r/X/sub s/ is recycled to the process. Alternatively, the SO/sub 3/ gas can be recycled to the beginning of the process to provide a continuous process for the production of H/sub 2/ in which only water need be added in a substantial amount. (BLM)

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: TIC; ERA-05-028558; EDB-80-082632
• Patent Number(s): None
• OSTI ID: 5325164
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
080101* -- Hydrogen-- Production-- Electrolysis
080102 -- Hydrogen-- Production-- Thermochemical Processes
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
BARIUM COMPOUNDS
BORATES
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
ELECTROLYSIS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
INORGANIC ACIDS
LANTHANUM COMPOUNDS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
LYSIS
MOLYBDATES
MOLYBDENUM COMPOUNDS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PRODUCTION
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
STRONTIUM COMPOUNDS
SULFURIC ACID
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TUNGSTATES
WATER