Discover The Powdered Fuel That Emerged As An Alternative To Oil

Australian Institution Develops Method That Could Be The New Alternative To Oil. Check Out The Details Behind Hydrogen In Powder Form.

Hydrogen has emerged as a great alternative to oil, given that its combustion does not emit polluting gases and its range is much greater than batteries, around 600 km with a single refill, depending on the tank size. On the other hand, there are some disadvantages that prevent the mass adoption of this vehicle model, mainly the transportation and storage costs. In this bottleneck, hydrogen in powder form emerges as a solution.

IFM Develops Powdered Fuel That Could Be An Alternative To Oil

Edson Orikassa, director of the Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering (AEA) and the Brazilian Hydrogen Association, explains that the transportation of hydrogen must be done under specific conditions, increasing its logistics costs.

In its liquefied form, like cooking gas, green hydrogen must be kept at a temperature of -252ºC. The energy required for this makes transportation in large volumes unfeasible. Storage requires high-pressure tanks, around 700 bar, which also come with high and costly expenses. According to the director, solid hydrogen, powdered fuel, uses a molecule with boron nitride to capture hydrogen, creating an entrapment.

The nitride binds to the fuel, allowing its transportation at room temperature. The study that found this alternative solution to oil comes from the Institute of Advanced Materials of Deakin University (IFM) in Australia.

It Is Possible To Compress Up To 1,100 m³ In Just One Gram

According to FEI professor and hydrogen mentor at SAE Brazil, Gerhard Ett, there are other ways to store and transport gas, which is a solid alternative to oil, but boron nitride is a lighter material, allowing for the compression of up to 1,100 m³ of gas into just one gram.

According to Ett, the current challenge is reversibility, that is, separating the hydrogen in powder form from the other substance after transportation. This must occur without contamination; otherwise, the powdered fuel is no longer functional.

Hydrogen will fill the vehicle in gaseous state, remaining solid only for logistical means, and it is necessary to find a practical way to store it in a cylinder, for example.

War In Ukraine Boosts Studies On Alternatives To Oil

Ett explains that it is now possible to achieve that separation of powdered fuel; now it is necessary to find practical ways that fit into daily logistics, as hydrogen is transported in various forms around the world.

The war between Russia and Ukraine has been essential for scientists and researchers around the world to showcase their certainty of what has been asserted for decades. It is necessary to mitigate dependence on oil. The conflict has destabilized the global fuel market, and now companies and institutions worldwide are seeking ways to create an alternative to oil.