Hydrogen production by oxidation of aluminum nanopowder in water under the action of laser pulses

The possibility of hydrogen production by the action of laser pulses (1064 nm, 14 ns, 10 Hz, 0.5-6 J/cm2) on a suspension containing 0.03 wt % aluminum (100 nm) in water is shown. It was found that aluminum nanoparticles absorb the laser energy and heat up. As a result of heating, the continuity of the oxide film is disrupted, and metallic aluminum reacts with water. It is shown that there is a complete transformation of aluminum into products (gibbsite, boehmite, bayerite). The maximum hydrogen yield Vm = 8.4 mL does not depend on the energy density of the laser radiation. The time to reach Vm decreases according to the hyperbolic law with increasing laser energy density, reaching 3.5 min at an energy density of 6 J/cm2.

Automated summary

The possibility of hydrogen production by using laser pulses on a suspension containing aluminum nanoparticles in water is demonstrated. The aluminum nanoparticles absorb the laser energy, disrupt the oxide film, and react with water to produce hydrogen. The maximum hydrogen yield is independent of the energy density of the laser radiation, while the time to reach the maximum yield decreases with increasing energy density.