Bismuth-Oxide Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation
Official patent title
Method of producing hydrogen gas using nanocomposite catalyst
Arabic title: طريقة لإنتاج غاز الهيدروجين باستخدام محفز نانو مركب
Invention
Invention
Problem
Sodium-borohydride hydrolysis needs a catalyst to release hydrogen at a useful rate under moderate conditions. Practical systems also require reuse, safe handling, and an economically credible carrier-regeneration cycle.
Why it matters
On-demand chemical hydrogen release could support portable or backup fuel-cell research where compressed-gas storage is impractical, subject to full lifecycle evaluation.
Approach
The method hydrolyzes sodium borohydride at 20–75 °C using a crystalline Bi2O3/CaSiO3/g-C3N4 catalyst containing oxide nanowires and mesoporous carbon-nitride nanosheets.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-carrier researchers, portable fuel-cell developers, catalyst manufacturers, backup-power integrators, and chemical-energy-storage laboratories.
Potential value
The catalyst combines Bi2O3 and CaSiO3 nanowires with mesoporous g-C3N4 and claims hydrogen-generation rates of 100–1,500 mL min−1 g−1 based on sodium-borohydride weight.
Background
Background
Sodium borohydride stores chemically bound hydrogen and releases it when hydrolyzed. Catalysts accelerate the reaction and can lower required temperature, but system viability also depends on hydrogen purity, catalyst lifetime, heat management, by-product handling, and regeneration of spent borate. Nanowires and mesoporous sheets can increase accessible interfaces. The disclosed catalyst uses bismuth oxide, calcium silicate, and carbon nitride for the release reaction; it does not address primary sodium-borohydride manufacture or a complete regeneration loop.
Technology overview
Technology overview
The crystalline catalyst contains monoclinic Bi2O3, CaSiO3, and g-C3N4; a claimed composition range is (0.8–1.2):(0.8–1.2):(0.8–1.2) by weight. Bi2O3 and CaSiO3 can form 20–100 nm nanowires, while at least a fraction of g-C3N4 forms mesoporous sheets. The material has 60–100 m²/g BET area and a multimodal pore distribution. Sodium borohydride and catalyst are used at a 1:1–5:1 weight ratio, with a reported 100–1,500 mL min−1 g−1 hydrogen-generation range.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- On-demand hydrogen-generation research.
- Sodium-borohydride hydrolysis catalysis.
- Portable and backup fuel-cell supply studies.
- Nanowire and mesoporous catalyst development.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- Operates within a moderate claimed temperature range.
- Combines nanowires with mesoporous nanosheets.
- Provides high claimed BET surface area.
- Reports a broad hydrogen-generation-rate range.
- Defines catalyst preparation and reactant ratios.
Development stage
Development stage
Laboratory catalyst synthesis, structural and porosity characterization, and claimed hydrolysis-rate ranges are described; repeated-cycle durability, bismuth leaching, integrated-system performance, and lifecycle economics were not established. The development stage was not independently verified.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The catalyst could be screened for chemical hydrogen cartridges. Commercial viability requires repeat-cycle activity, catalyst recovery and bismuth leaching, hydrogen purity, startup and control behavior, thermal and pressure safety, scalable synthesis, cost per hydrogen delivered, spent-borate management, and lifecycle analysis of sodium-borohydride production and regeneration.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J23/02Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
CPC
- B01J23/02Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J23/18Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J27/24Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/45Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/58Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/613Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/615Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/633Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/635Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/647Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J35/695Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J37/04Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J37/06Chemical 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
- B01J37/343Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- Y02E60/36Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions related to energy generation, transmission or distribution
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
- InventorMohamed Khairy Omran
- InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair
Keywords
Keywords
- hydrogen generation
- sodium borohydride
- bismuth oxide
- calcium silicate
- graphitic carbon nitride
- nanowire catalyst
- hydrolysis
Patent document and drawings
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.