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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Process for producing hydrogen from water using cobalt and barium compounds

Patent ·
OSTI ID:863475

A thermochemical process for producing hydrogen comprises the step of reacting CoO with BaO or Ba(OH).sub.2 in the presence of steam to produce H.sub.2 and novel double oxides of Ba and Co having the empirical formulas BaCoO.sub.2.33 and Ba.sub.2 CoO.sub.3.33. The double oxide can be reacted with H.sub.2 O to form Co.sub.3 O.sub.4 and Ba(OH).sub.2 which can be recycled to the original reaction. The Co.sub.3 O.sub.4 is converted to CoO by either of two procedures. In one embodiment Co.sub.3 O.sub.4 is heated, preferably in steam, to form CoO. In another embodiment Co.sub.3 O.sub.4 is reacted with aqueous HCl solution to produce CoCl.sub.2 and Cl.sub.2. The CoCl.sub.2 is reacted with H.sub.2 O to form CoO and HCl and the CoO is recycled to the initial reaction step. The Cl.sub.2 can be reacted with H.sub.2 O to produce HCl. HCl can be recycled for reaction with Co.sub.3 O.sub.4.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN
Assignee:
United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
Patent Number(s):
US 4180555
OSTI ID:
863475
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English