Efficient hydrogen production with controlled hydrochloric acid addition using Ni-based catalyst synthesized in ethanol solvent

Abstract

A Ni-based catalyst was synthesized in ethanol solvent by chemical reduction with sodium borohydride(NaBH4). This catalyst was used to catalyze the hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4 with hydrochloric acid (HCl) including different concentrations. Surface morphologies and characteristic properties of the Ni-based catalysts synthesized in the ethanol and water solvents were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), surface area measurements, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses, respectively. The maximum HGRs of the Ni-based (water) and Ni-based (ethanol) catalysts were 173 and 1054 ml g-1min-1, respectively. In addition, the HGR with 0.25 M HCl addition on the hydrolysis reaction using the Ni-based catalyst prepared in the ethanol solvent was about 1526 ml g-1min-1. Kinetic studies are performed according to the power law kinetic model. The activation energy (Ea) for the HG from the acidified hydrolysis reaction of NaBH4 using the Ni-based (ethanol) catalyst was found as 49 kJ mol-1.