A vertically aligned carbon nanotube/fiber based electrode for economic hydrogen production by water electrolysis

Electrolysis is the most mature form of hydrogen production. Unfortunately, water electrolysis has not yet achieved the efficiency and the cost levels required for any practical application. In order to enhance the current density, modification of the electrolyte and the electrode morphology are the most popular approaches. Recently there have been numerous reports on how to improve the efficiency of hydrogen production by water splitting [1-3]. On the electrode side, the use of non-platinum high efficiency electrode materials for water splitting will provide a promising future for the hydrogen economy. An ideal electrode for water electrolysis should have good permeability to water and gas. It should also offer good electrical properties with a long life. A porous graphite plate, when coated with titania, for example, is known to provide a simple and economical electrode for water electrolysis [4]. © 2010 IEEE.

Frame assisted H2O electrolysis induced H2 bubbling transfer of large area graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition on Cu

An improved technique for transferring large area graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition on copper is presented. It is based on mechanical separation of the graphene/copper by H2 bubbles during H2O electrolysis, which only takes a few tens of seconds while leaving the copper cathode intact. A semi-rigid plastic frame in combination with thin polymer layer span on graphene gives a convenient way of handling- and avoiding wrinkles and holes in graphene. Optical and electrical characterizations prove the graphene quality is better than that obtained by traditional wet etching transfer. This technique appears to be highly reproducible and cost efficient. © 2013 American Institute of Physics.

Mapping the global flow of aluminum: from liquid aluminum to end-use goods.

Demand for aluminum in final products has increased 30-fold since 1950 to 45 million tonnes per year, with forecasts predicting this exceptional growth to continue so that demand will reach 2-3 times today's levels by 2050. Aluminum production uses 3.5% of global electricity and causes 1% of global CO2 emissions, while meeting a 50% cut in emissions by 2050 against growing demand would require at least a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions per tonne of aluminum produced--a challenging prospect. In this paper we trace the global flows of aluminum from liquid metal to final products, revealing for the first time a complete map of the aluminum system and providing a basis for future study of the emissions abatement potential of material efficiency. The resulting Sankey diagram also draws attention to two key issues. First, around half of all liquid aluminum (~39 Mt) produced each year never reaches a final product, and a detailed discussion of these high yield losses shows significant opportunities for improvement. Second, aluminum recycling, which avoids the high energy costs and emissions of electrolysis, requires signification "dilution" (~ 8 Mt) and "cascade" (~ 6 Mt) flows of higher aluminum grades to make up for the shortfall in scrap supply and to obtain the desired alloy mix, increasing the energy required for recycling.