SiGNa Chemistry Develops Hydrogen Production Method
July 14, 2005
SiGNa Chemistry Develops Hydrogen Production MethodJuly 14, 2005 |
SiGNa Chemistry LLC (New York, NY) reported that it has come up with a new way to produce hydrogen, which could be incorporated into fuel cells that could generate enough electricity to run a cell phone for a week, or a car in emergency situations. The new technology could also reduce cost and complexity for pharmaceutical manufacturers and petroleum refiners.
The key is sodium, the alkali metal that bursts into sparks when dunked in
water, which can generate hydrogen. However, because of the sparks and
heat, industrial companies shy away from it. Signa has devised a way to
mix sodium with silica gel, or crystalline silicon, to create a powder
that essentially strips electrons from the sodium molecules in advance and
stores them. When water is introduced, the chemical reaction proceeds
calmly. (The harvested hydrogen molecules in turn undergo a second
reaction: electrons are stripped from the molecules and get channeled into
electrical power.) The powder generates hydrogen efficiently. More than
nine percent of a kilogram of the powder gets converted to hydrogen, and
little energy is lost through heat.
Signa has begun delivery of its powders to chemical and drug manufacturers, and is working with a fuel cell manufacturer to develop prototypes. It will announce a deal with a major chemical distributor soon. The company will partner with fuel cell makers to devise cells for smaller devices, such as phones or MP3 players. On the Web (links open in a new window): Visit our Power Communities: Contents ©2005, Darnell Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
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