Aluminum based nanogalvanic compositions useful for generating hydrogen gas and low temperature processing thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12054809-B2
Application number	US-201916579089-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 23, 2019
Priority date	Jul 24, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

Alloys comprised of a refined microstructure, ultrafine or nano scaled, that when reacted with water or any liquid containing water will spontaneously and rapidly produce hydrogen at ambient or elevated temperature are described. These metals, termed here as aluminum based nanogalvanic alloys will have applications that include but are not limited to energy generation on demand. The alloys may be composed of primarily aluminum and other metals e.g. tin bismuth, indium, gallium, lead, etc. and/or carbon, and mixtures and alloys thereof. The alloys may be processed by ball milling for the purpose of synthesizing powder feed stocks, in which each powder particle will have the above mentioned characteristics. These powders can be used in their inherent form or consolidated using commercially available techniques for the purpose of manufacturing useful functional components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming an aluminum, an aluminum alloy or other aluminum-based composition that generates hydrogen gas upon contact with water or other aqueous compositions, the method comprising:
providing aluminum, an aluminum alloy or another aluminum-based composition;
providing a second metal, second alloy or other second metal-based composition;
milling the aluminum, aluminum alloy or other aluminum-based composition and second metal, alloy or other metal-based composition at a temperature within 50° C. of the ductile to brittle transition temperature for tin (Sn);
producing a milled, powder composition that comprises grains or subgrains of aluminum with individual grains or subgrains of the dispersed second metal, second alloy or other second metal-based composition having atomic to micro-scale dimensions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature not higher than 50° C. below the ductile to brittle transition temperature for tin (Sn).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature not higher than 100° C. below the ductile to brittle transition temperature for tin (Sn).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature not higher than 150° C. below the ductile to brittle transition temperature for tin (Sn).

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature not higher than 270° C. below the ductile to brittle transition temperature for tin (Sn).

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature within 25° C. of the ductile to brittle transition temperature for tin (Sn).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature of not less than −36.8° C.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature of not less than −86.8° C.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling is conducted over temperature range of from about +100° C. to about −270° C. and in which the aluminum (Al) undergoes embrittlement.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs over temperature range from about +100° C. to about −270° C. and in which the dispersed phase or solute comprises tin (Sn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), indium (In), zinc (Zn) carbon (C), or mixtures thereof and further wherein the disperse phase or solute undergoes embrittlement.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs under or in a low temperature fluid that is at a temperature <24° C.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs in a cryogenic liquid that is at a temperature ≤−75° C.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises at least 0.1 atomic percent tin (Sn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), indium (In), zinc (Zn) or carbon (C), or a mixture thereof.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises at least 1 atomic percent tin (Sn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), indium (In), zinc (Zn) or carbon (C), or a mixture thereof.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises at least 2.5 atomic percent tin (Sn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), indium (In), zinc (Zn) or carbon (C), or a mixture thereof.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises between about 0.1 atomic percent to about 49.99 atomic percent tin (Sn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), indium (In), zinc (Zn) or carbon (C), or a mixture thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises at least 0.1 atomic percent tin or bismuth or a mixture thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs under a cover gas comprising neon, hydrogen, helium, argon or a mixture thereof.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs in or open or closed off to the atmosphere.

20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the milled, powder composition to a container that is free of oxygen.

21. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transferring the milled, powder composition to a container that is open to the atmosphere.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises finely divided powder particles having diameters ranging from about 1 micron to about 10,000 microns.

23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises finely divided powder particles having diameters ranging from about 1 micron to about 1000 microns.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milled, powder composition comprises finely divided powder particles having diameters ranging from about 10 nanometers to about 1000 nanometers.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second metal, second alloy or other second metal-based composition is selected from the group consisting of: tin (Sn), magnesium (Mg), silicon (Si), bismuth (Bi), lead (Pb), gallium (Ga), indium (In), zinc (Zn), and carbon (C), and any mixtures and any alloys thereof.

26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs in a milling container and further comprises adding a surfactant to prevent the powder from bonding to the milling container during milling.

27. The method of claim 1 which provides a dispersion of the second metal in the aluminum, an aluminum alloy or another aluminum-based composition which is a solvent or matrix for the second metal resulting in a reaction rate wherein the hydrogen production is greater than 74% of the theoretical yield for aluminum at 25° C. (298 K) and 1 atm. in less than or equal to 30 seconds.

28. The method of claim 27 which provides a dispersion of solutes in the solvent or matrix resulting in a reaction rate wherein the hydrogen production is greater than 74% of the theoretical yield for aluminum at 25° C. (298 K) and 1 atm. in 5 minutes.

29. The method of claim 27 which provides a dispersion of solutes in the solvent or matrix resulting in a reaction rate wherein the hydrogen production is greater than 74% of the theoretical yield for aluminum at 25° C. (298 K) and 1 atm. in 50 minutes.

30. The method of claim 27 which provides a dispersion of solutes in the solvent or matrix resulting in a reaction rate wherein the hydrogen production is greater than 74% of the theoretical yield for aluminum at 25° C. (298 K) and 1 atm. in 500 minutes.

31. The method of claim 27 which provides a dispersion of solutes in the solvent or matrix resulting in a reaction rate wherein the hydrogen production is greater than 74% of the theoretical yield for aluminum at 25° C. (298 K) and 1 atm. in 5000 minutes.

32. The method of claim 1 further including compacting the milled, powder composition into a densified structure.

33. The method of claim 1 further including compacting the milled, powder composition into a tablet, a rod, a pellet or a bulk part wherein the tablet, rod, pellet or bulk structural part generates hydrogen when the tablet, rod, pellet or bulk structural part contacts water or a water containing liquid.

34. The method of claim 1 , wherein the milling occurs at a temperature less than or equal to the ductile to brittle transition tempera

Assignees

• Us Army Res Lab
• The Us Secretary Of Army

Inventors

• Giri Anit K
• Roberts Anthony J
• Hornbuckle Billy C
• Grendahl Scott M
• Darling Kristopher A

Classifications

• B22F9/04

  starting from solid material, e.g. by crushing, grinding or milling ({C22C1/1084 takes precedence}; crushing, grinding or milling, in general, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B02C) · CPC title

• C22C1/0416 Primary

  Aluminium-based alloys · CPC title

• Y02E60/36

  Hydrogen production from non-carbon containing sources, e.g. by water electrolysis · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• B22F2998/10

  Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps · CPC title