In a recent article from MSN, a professor at Purdue University recently invented and patented a way of using an aluminum alloy to produce Hydrogen from water. The alloy is a mixture of aluminum and gallium and when mixed with water, the strong attraction between the aluminum and the oxygen in the water is what actually causes the water to release the hydrogen and create aluminum oxide as a result.
Professor Woodall says that aluminum oxides could then be put through electrolysis using some other form of clean energy thereby recycling the aluminum for reuse. Purdue actually hold the patent to this process and AlGalCo LLC, a startup company, has gotten the rights to go ahead and commercialize this process in the form of a “magic pill”.
Unfortunately, the company and Professor Woodall are hitting a brick wall with the Department of Energy as they seem to be ignoring and/or dismissing his findings. Professor Woodall is not recognized as a “hydrogen” scientist although he was made famous by winning the National Medal of Technology for compound semiconductors.
As always, a new and innovative idea which would help to break our addiction to oil has been put on the sideline. (See Similar Article) It seems to me that our government and its agencies are not looking for true alternatives to energy, but merely wanting to look like they are.
For More details Read The MSN Article.