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> we can check other elements as potential reversible fuels In theory, you want an abundant substance which takes up oxygen, produces solid waste, which is eas

by gopalv 6y ago

> we can check other elements as potential reversible fuels In theory, you want an abundant substance which takes up oxygen, produces solid waste, which is easy to clean up, raw material which is stable in outdoor conditions (if spilled) and non-toxic to your skin in either form. I read through the literature after seeing a NewAtlas article a couple of weeks ago [1] & [2]. > Nitrogen? Sulfur? Gases are harder to take to recycling. > Sodium? Can't touch it without gloves or sneeze around it (the problem is H2 gas, not the sodium itself). There was a memorable sodium leak in a Kalpakkam nuclear power plant in India that I remember, where the issue was the H2 from the sodium + water lines breaking. > Aluminum? Aluminium would be easier to mine out of the ground than Fe, but Al02 to Al is a harder conversion to do already in terms of energy efficiency. And as someone who's burned through a crucible and the floor with Thermite & spent time cleaning it up, the real value of iron oxide is that it doesn't get "harder by burning" (AlO2 is HARD) & produces a fragile and flaky waste product which is easy to clean off the equipment. [1] - https://newatlas.com/energy/bavarian-brewery-carbon-free-renewable-iron-fuel/ https://newatlas.com/energy/bavarian-brewery-carbon-free-ren... [2] - https://newatlas.com/mcgill-metal-powder-fuel/40869/ https://newatlas.com/mcgill-metal-powder-fuel/40869/?

avmich 6y ago
You didn't expect me to list the whole periodic table :) . So these particular examples may very well be inconvenient - but is iron optimal for such an approach?
- gopalv 6y ago
  > but is iron optimal for such an approach? I found the question equally intriguing. This is still an energy storage medium, so think of it like a very energy dense battery rather than a true fuel & today it is produced by burning carbon in coal/coke. That aside, for a solid powder fuel, pretty much yes. That 2nd article lists out why it is most likely the best choice, but to collect everything I read together. 2nd most abundant (Al is more), powder burns into powder oxide which can be separated easily (not corundum glass), production capacity exists across the world (not exotic material), the waste product will dissolve in acidic water (for cleaning), but isn't a "heavy heavy" metal (we can excrete iron through our kidneys), decent flame capacity (magnesium would burn hotter, maybe), very shelf stable, degrades into the final product (it rusts, but then you dump it the same way), won't catch fire by itself (not like the alkali metals or sulfur/phosphorus) Eventually, there's just a few non-carbon elements which even hit a part of those - Al, Si and Fe. And the other two make it one-use only with glassy (literally) oxides.
ithkuil 6y ago
> AlO2 is HARD Where can I read more about AlO2? A quick Google search is unhelpful. Is it also called "alluminum peroxide oxide"?
- gopalv 6y ago
  > Where can I read more about AlO2? Sorry, bad typo for the oxide - Al has many oxides. I meant Al2O3, not Al2O (or AlO2)

by gopalv 6y ago

avmich 6y ago

You didn't expect me to list the whole periodic table :) . So these particular examples may very well be inconvenient - but is iron optimal for such an approach?

gopalv 6y ago
> but is iron optimal for such an approach? I found the question equally intriguing. This is still an energy storage medium, so think of it like a very energy dense battery rather than a true fuel & today it is produced by burning carbon in coal/coke. That aside, for a solid powder fuel, pretty much yes. That 2nd article lists out why it is most likely the best choice, but to collect everything I read together. 2nd most abundant (Al is more), powder burns into powder oxide which can be separated easily (not corundum glass), production capacity exists across the world (not exotic material), the waste product will dissolve in acidic water (for cleaning), but isn't a "heavy heavy" metal (we can excrete iron through our kidneys), decent flame capacity (magnesium would burn hotter, maybe), very shelf stable, degrades into the final product (it rusts, but then you dump it the same way), won't catch fire by itself (not like the alkali metals or sulfur/phosphorus) Eventually, there's just a few non-carbon elements which even hit a part of those - Al, Si and Fe. And the other two make it one-use only with glassy (literally) oxides.

ithkuil 6y ago

> AlO2 is HARD Where can I read more about AlO2? A quick Google search is unhelpful. Is it also called "alluminum peroxide oxide"?

gopalv 6y ago
> Where can I read more about AlO2? Sorry, bad typo for the oxide - Al has many oxides. I meant Al2O3, not Al2O (or AlO2)