Graphite-Supported Catalyst for Hydrogen Generation
Official patent title
Method of producing hydrogen gas from sodium borohydride
Arabic title: طريقة لإنتاج غاز الهيدروجين من بوروهيدريد الصوديوم
Invention
Invention
Problem
Sodium borohydride releases hydrogen only slowly by self-hydrolysis, while active noble-metal catalysts can be limited by scarcity, cost, and toxicity and hydrogen systems must manage reaction heat and residues.
Why it matters
A separable graphite-supported manganese/magnesium catalyst could support controlled hydrogen generation, but rate reproducibility, catalyst reuse, manganese release, gas purity, thermal safety, sodium-metaborate handling, regeneration, and economics require independent verification.
Approach
The method hydrolyzes NaBH4 with water in the presence of graphite sheets bearing δ-MnO2 nanorods and MgO nanoparticles under specified temperature and mass-ratio conditions.
Who may benefit
Potential beneficiaries include hydrogen researchers, chemical-hydride reactor developers, catalyst producers, portable-power laboratories, and nanomaterials teams studying supported manganese-oxide catalysts.
Potential value
The disclosure combines a graphite-supported δ-MnO2/MgO catalyst architecture, component preparation routes, catalyst-loading ratios, reaction temperatures, and stated hydrogen-generation-rate ranges.
Background
Background
Hydrogen can support transportation, industrial processes, heating, and energy storage, but storage and transport remain major constraints. Sodium borohydride is a stable chemical carrier that releases hydrogen through hydrolysis; however, self-hydrolysis is too slow for many practical concepts. Heterogeneous catalysts can accelerate the reaction and can be separated from sodium-metaborate solution more readily than homogeneous catalysts. Because platinum, ruthenium, and palladium catalysts face cost and abundance constraints, the publication investigates a graphite-supported manganese-oxide and magnesium-oxide alternative.
Technology overview
Technology overview
The claimed method uses graphite sheet particles carrying δ-MnO2 nanorods and MgO nanoparticles to catalyze NaBH4 hydrolysis at about 20 to about 75° C. The NaBH4-to-catalyst weight ratio is about 1:1 to about 5:1. Dependent claims define graphite, δ-MnO2, and MgO proportions, an ultrasonic acidified-deposition method, routes for preparing both oxide components, narrower reaction windows, and hydrogen-generation rates of about 100 to about 2000 mL min−1 g−1 based on NaBH4 weight.
Potential applications
Potential applications
- Potential on-demand hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride.
- Development of supported catalysts for chemical-hydride reactors.
- Laboratory evaluation of portable hydrogen-supply concepts.
- Research on graphite-supported δ-MnO2/MgO catalytic interfaces.
Evidence-supported advantages
Evidence-supported advantages
- Uses graphite-supported manganese and magnesium oxides rather than noble metals.
- Defines catalyst composition and NaBH4-to-catalyst ratios.
- Provides preparation routes for the support-bound oxide components.
- States reaction-temperature and hydrogen-generation-rate ranges.
Development stage
Development stage
The patent publication specifies catalyst preparation and hydrogen-generation-rate ranges; commercialization was not established, and the reported performance and development stage were not independently verified.
Commercial opportunity
Commercial opportunity
The catalyst could support licensing or collaborative development of chemical-hydride hydrogen reactors. Commercial work should verify catalyst lifetime, graphite and particle recovery, manganese release, rate reproducibility, thermal and pressure control, hydrogen purity, sodium-metaborate recycling, NaBH4 regeneration, safe materials handling, and total system cost.
Patent classifications
Patent classifications
WIPO IPC
- C01B3/04Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- B01J21/10Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- B01J23/34Chemical 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
- B01J35/55Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
CPC
- B01J23/34Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- C01B3/04Non-metallic elements; compounds thereof
- B01J21/10Chemical 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
- B01J35/55Chemical or physical processes, e.g. catalysis or colloid chemistry; their relevant apparatus
- C01B2203/0277Non-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
- InventorLaila Saad Saeed Alqarni
- InventorMaha Daifullah Mohammed Alghamdi
- InventorReem Daifullah Mohammed Alghamdi
Keywords
Keywords
- hydrogen generation
- sodium borohydride
- δ-MnO2
- MgO
- graphite
- hydrolysis
- nanocomposite catalyst
- chemical hydride
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.