Cobalt-Oxide Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation
Official patent title
Hydrogen generation method from sodium borohydride using CoO/CaSiO3@g-C3N4 nanocomposite material
Arabic title: طريقة توليد الهيدروجين من بوروهيدريد الصوديوم باستخدام مادة نانو مركبة CoO/CaSiO3@g-C3N4
Invention
Invention
Problem
Sodium borohydride releases hydrogen slowly through uncatalyzed hydrolysis, while catalyst cost, recovery, stability, and safe operation can limit practical chemical-hydrogen systems.
Why it matters
Controllable hydrogen generation near ambient temperature could support portable supply, but system viability depends on total yield, gas purity, catalyst life, and carrier recycling.
Approach
The method hydrolyzes NaBH4 in water with a CoO/CaSiO3@g-C3N4 catalyst. Hexagonal cobalt-oxide and calcium-silicate particles are dispersed on graphitic-carbon-nitride nanosheets, and patent-stated hydrogen rates vary with temperature.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen-generator developers, fuel-cell laboratories, catalyst manufacturers, portable-power researchers, and chemical hydrogen-carrier programs.
Potential value
The catalyst combines cobalt oxide, calcium silicate, and carbon nitride in a porous structure with defined particle and patent-stated hydrogen-generation characteristics.
Background
Background
Hydrogen storage by compression, liquefaction, or metal hydrides can require expensive infrastructure, substantial energy, or elevated release temperatures. Sodium borohydride is a chemical carrier that generates hydrogen with water, although its uncatalyzed reaction is slow. The publication proposes a cobalt-oxide, calcium-silicate, and graphitic-carbon-nitride catalyst. It includes structural and sorption characterization plus temperature-specific generation rates. The supplied evidence does not establish total conversion, hydrogen purity, catalyst recovery or cycling, cobalt leaching, reactor-scale operation, or borohydride regeneration economics.
Technology overview
Technology overview
The CoO and CaSiO3 phases form hexagonal particles dispersed on g-C3N4 nanosheets. The abstract states an average particle-diameter range of 340–430 nm and a hydrogen-generation rate of at least 40 mL·min−1·g−1. The summary states 80 mL·min−1·g−1 at 28 °C and 400 mL·min−1·g−1 at 38 °C, at least 20 m2·g−1 BET area, at least 0.10 cm3·g−1 pore volume, and a 21.82 nm average pore diameter.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- On-demand hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride.
- Catalyst studies for portable fuel-cell hydrogen supply.
- Chemical hydrogen-carrier research near ambient temperature.
- Cobalt-oxide hydrolysis catalyst development.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- The catalyst integrates cobalt oxide, calcium silicate, and carbon nitride.
- Particle size, surface area, pore volume, and pore diameter are specified.
- XRD, TEM, SAED, and nitrogen-sorption characterization are described.
- Hydrogen generation is stated at defined temperatures.
Development stage
Development stage
Laboratory catalyst characterization and patent-stated hydrogen-generation rates are described; long-duration cycling, reactor-scale operation, and commercialization were not established.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The catalyst may support compact hydrogen generators. Commercialization requires independent rate, conversion, purity, catalyst-cycle and poisoning tests; cobalt-leaching control; heat and gas-flow management; sodium-metaborate handling; borohydride regeneration economics; feedstock cost; scale-up reproducibility; and hydrogen-system safety compliance. Performance is not independently verified.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- C01B3/04Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
CPC
- C01B3/04Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- C01B3/06Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- C01B3/065Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- C01B2203/1052Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- C01B2203/1082Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- Y02E60/36Reduction of greenhouse gas [GHG] emissions related to energy generation, transmission or distribution
Inventors
Inventors
- First inventorMohamed Khairy Abdel Fattah Omran
- InventorMohamed Nady Abd El-Hameed Ibrahim
- InventorBabiker Yagoub Elhadi Abdulkhair
Keywords
Keywords
- hydrogen generation
- sodium borohydride
- cobalt oxide
- calcium silicate
- graphitic carbon nitride
- hydrolysis
- nanocomposite catalyst
- hydrogen carrier
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.