Kerf loss silicon as a cost-effective, high-efficiency, and convenient energy carrier: additive-mediated rapid hydrogen production and integrated systems for electricity generation and hydrogen storage. Issue 33 (5th August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kao, Tzu-Lun; Huang, Wei-Hsiang; Tuan, Hsing-Yu
• Is Part Of: Journal of materials chemistry. Volume 4:Issue 33(2016)
• Page Start: 12921
• Page End: 12928
• Publication Date: 2016-08-05
• Subjects: Materials -- Research -- Periodicals; Chemistry, Analytic -- Periodicals; Environmental sciences -- Research -- Periodicals; 543.0284
• DOI: 10.1039/c6ta03657k
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2050-7488

Abstract

Abstract : Kerf loss silicon was used for additive-mediated rapid hydrogen production with a rate of 4.72 × 10 −3 g(H2 ) per s per g(Si) and a yield of 92%. A silicon-based integrated system for electricity generation and hydrogen storage was demonstrated. Abstract : Base-catalyzed chemical etching of silicon in water can produce hydrogen and dissociated orthosilicic acid (SiO2 (OH)2 2− ), suggesting that silicon can be regarded as an energy carrier. However, this process needs a large amount of low-priced silicon as the essential reactive material for cost saving and faster and high-yield hydrogen production agreeable for industrialization. In this study, high-performance hydrogen production through wet chemical etching of micrometer-sized kerf loss silicon recovered from the sawing process of solar-grade wafers is reported. Additives, including sodium metasilicate (Na2 SiO3 ) and metasilicic acid (H2 SiO3 ), were employed to accelerate the water splitting reaction, resulting in an optimized hydrogen production rate of 4.72 × 10 −3 g(H2 ) per s per g(Si) and a yield of 92% that ranks as the best performance in the reported literature on a micrometer-sized silicon basis. In addition, a proof-of-concept example showing that kerf loss silicon is a convenient energy carrier was conducted using a kerf loss silicon-based hydrogen production reactor in coordination with either a fuel cell, which converted the supplied hydrogen to electricity, or a high-pressure tank for hydrogen storage.