Katalizör ve Eng Katkılı Mgh2 Peletlerin Yapısal Özelliklerinin ve Hidrojen Kinetiğinin Araştırılması

Abstract

Among metal hydrides, MgH2 operates at high temperatures (300-450oC) and low H2 pressures (0-20 bar). It is an abundant and well-studied material. These properties show that MgH2 can be used as a thermal energy storage material for concentrating solar power plants. H2 absorption of magnesium is exothermic, 75kJ/molH2 heat energy is released. This released energy can be used to carry on power plant's operation. Suitable thermochemical energy storage material should have high thermal conductivity and fast hydrogen kinetics. However reaction kinetics of MgH2 is slow and it has low thermal conductivity. In this work, mechanical milling process and metal oxide catalysts are used to improve reaction kinetics. Expanded natural graphite (ENG) is added to increase thermal conductivity of samples. MgH2-catalyst-ENG mixture is compacted with uniaxial press to reduce oxidation rate and increase volumetric hydrogen capacity. Effect of mechanical milling, pellet pressure, ENG concentration, catalyst type and concentration on material is investigated. Hydrogen kinetics of prepared samples are measured with Seivert's volumetric method. SEM and TEM analysis are done for structural analysis. Thermal conductivity measurement system, designed by SNTG members is used to measure thermal conductivities of pellets. Pellet consist of %90 MgH2, %5 TiO2 and ENG can store 5,6 wt. % hydrogen at 350oC. With %5 TiO2 addition, reaction kinetics are two times faster respect to sample without catalyst. Pellet can fully desorb hydrogen in 15 minutes. With %5 ENG addition, radial thermal conductivity of pellet is reached to 4,6 W/mK. This result is 5 times higher than MgH2 itself. There is not any physical distortion on pellet surfaces up to 20 hydrogen absorption-desorption cycle. Increasing pellet pressure improves the physical properties and pellet pressed under 600 MPa can keep pellet form until 50 cycle. These results show that catalyst and ENG addition clearly improves properties of pure MgH2 pellet. Prepared pellet can operate at 300-450oC temperature range and 0-20 bar H2. It has the potential to be used as a high temperature thermal energy storage material.