US 12286350 B1Patent grantUnited States

Silica-Supported Bismuth Hydrogen Catalyst

Official patent title

Method for generating hydrogen using Bi2O3@SiO2 nanocomposite catalyst

Arabic title: طريقة لتوليد الهيدروجين باستخدام محفز نانوي مركب من Bi2O3@SiO2

Invention

Problem

Hydrogen release from borohydride salts needs catalysts that accelerate hydrolysis under moderate conditions while offering controllable composition and manufacturable preparation.

Why it matters

Catalyzed NaBH4 hydrolysis could support on-demand hydrogen research, but commercial value depends on catalyst life, reagent recycling, byproduct management, gas purity, and safety.

Approach

The method disperses 2–12 wt.% Bi2O3 in SiO2, mixes the catalyst with an aqueous borohydride salt at a defined mass ratio, and collects hydrogen generated by hydrolysis.

Who may benefit

Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-system researchers, catalyst and silica-material producers, chemical-hydride developers, fuel-cell laboratories, and advanced-materials companies.

Potential value

The platform provides a simple milled-and-calcined Bi2O3@SiO2 catalyst with defined bismuth loading, catalyst-to-borohydride ratio, and temperature-dependent hydrogen-rate ranges.

Background

Hydrogen is studied as an energy carrier, but its production, storage, and transport remain difficult. Borohydride salts can store chemically bound hydrogen and release it by aqueous hydrolysis, although the uncatalyzed reaction can be too slow for controlled supply. Metal-oxide nanocomposites provide adjustable catalytic surfaces, but some synthesis routes require prolonged high-temperature processing and produce inconsistent particles. The patent disperses Bi2O3 within a silica matrix using milling and calcination, then evaluates the material as a catalyst for NaBH4 hydrolysis over moderate reaction temperatures.

Technology overview

The catalyst contains 2–12 wt.% Bi2O3 dispersed in SiO2 and is prepared by milling a bismuth salt, silica, and glucose, calcining at 400–600 °C for 3–5 hours, then milling again. It is combined with 0.1–2 g borohydride salt in water at a catalyst:borohydride weight ratio of 0.1:2–7:1. Hydrolysis proceeds at 25–50 °C, with claimed hydrogen-generation rates spanning 100–2200 mL·min−1·g−1 and a catalytic rate two to three times the uncatalyzed rate. Hydrogen forms within 0.1–30 minutes.

Potential applications

Potential use in laboratory on-demand hydrogen generation from NaBH4.
Potential use in chemical-hydride fuel-supply research.
Potential use in catalyst cartridges for small hydrogen-system prototypes.
Potential use in comparative testing of oxide-on-silica hydrolysis catalysts.

Evidence-supported advantages

Uses a silica support with a defined 2–12 wt.% Bi2O3 loading.
Employs milling and calcination with specified times, temperatures, and speeds.
Claims hydrolysis two to three times faster than the uncatalyzed reaction.
Reports hydrogen-rate windows across several moderate reaction temperatures.

Development stage

Patent publication with reported catalyst preparation and borohydride-hydrolysis measurements; durability, integrated-system validation, scale-up, and commercialization were not established.

Commercial opportunity

The catalyst may support joint development of borohydride-based hydrogen generators. Required diligence includes resolving oxidation-state wording in dependent claims, verifying rate normalization and conversion, catalyst batch consistency, reuse, bismuth leaching, silica integrity, gas purity, NaBH4 and borate recycling, thermal control, corrosion, hydrogen safety, cartridge design, and lifecycle economics.

Patent classifications

WIPO IPC

C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
B01J23/18Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus

CPC

B01J23/18Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/0027Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J37/08Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
B01J2523/41Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
B01J2523/54Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
Y02E60/36Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions related to energy generation, transmission or distribution

Inventors

First inventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
InventorMohamed Khairy Omran
InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair

Keywords

Bi2O3
SiO2
nanocomposite catalyst
sodium borohydride
hydrogen generation
hydrolysis
milling
chemical hydride

Patent document and drawings

The patent publication is mapped to this record. Patent drawings remain within that publication; no separately cleared public media package has been supplied.