Hydrogen is the fuel of the future, cleanly powering trucks, trains, ships, aircraft, and more. But if the hydrogen itself can't be produced in a green and cost-effective way, it'll do no good for consumers or for the planet. That's why researchers from Waseda University and the University of Yamanashi in Japan have developed a new type of membrane to use for splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, Tech Xplore reports.
The team was led by Waseda's Professor Kenji Miyatake, and the study was published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials.
"The polymer-based membrane used in this study satisfies the fundamental requirement for robust, effective materials in the production of green hydrogen to be used in water electrolysis," Miyatake said, per Tech Xplore.
🗣️ Should we be digging into the ground to find new energy sources?
🔘 Definitely 👍
🔘 No way 👎
🔘 As long as it's not near me 🏠
🔘 As long as it's clean energy 🔋
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
Basically, the process being used to generate hydrogen, called electrochemical water splitting, uses an electrical current to separate hydrogen and oxygen atoms from the water molecule. To do that, the mixture needs chemical catalysts. Existing methods use proton exchange membranes or alkaline water electrolyzers, Tech Xplore explained.
However, both of those methods have limitations. The former use rare metals such as platinum, making them costly, and the latter are inefficient. Anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers combine the strengths of both methods, but they're unstable and break down quickly.
Miyatake's group created a new type of anion exchange membrane designed to withstand the alkaline conditions that damaged previous versions, which is why the new membrane is so durable. Per Tech Xplore, it can withstand 810 hours of use, making it suitable for industrial purposes. It's also highly conductive for efficient operation.
"The durability shown here is an encouraging sign that our membrane can help reduce costs in hydrogen production," said Miyatake.
Unlike other dirty fuels that create air pollution, hydrogen produces only water as a byproduct. That's good news for human health, and also for the environment, which has been heating up uncontrollably due to air pollution. The more systems we can move to clean energy sources, the better it will be for people and the planet.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
