Influence of plasma treatment on Ce0.05-Ni-W-B catalyst for hydrogen production by hydrolysis of NaBH4

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of plasma treatment on the surface of Ce-0.05-Ni-W-B catalyst. The Ce-0.05-Ni-W-B catalysts were treated with argon plasma at a different treatment time. Ce was used as a promoter. NaBH4 concentration, NaOH concentration, temperature, plasma applying time and plasma gases was investigated for the hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of NaBH4 with Ce-0.05-Ni-W-B catalyst. The catalysts were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The results of the activity tests indicate that the plasma treatment greatly influence the activity. The activation energies for zero-order of the untreated and plasma treated Ce-0.05-Ni-W-B catalysts were found to be 51.87 and 41.18 kJ mol(-1), respectively. (C) 2015 Energy Institute. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.