Water-Vapor Decomposition Using Zirconium-Nickel Alloy

Water-vapor decomposition using zirconium-nickel alloy was investigated. The fastest decomposition of water vapor and the generation of hydrogen were observed at about one hour after the start of the decomposition process. Subsequently, the reaction whereby more than 90% of the water vapor in a gas was decomposed was maintained for about seventy hours. The X-ray diffraction spectra of the zirconium-nickel alloy before starting the experiment and after the decomposition experiment was completed were examined and the chemical reaction equation of water-vapor decomposition was proposed. The equation was confirmed by experimentally investigating the increase in the weight of the alloy and the ratio of the volume of water vapor decomposed to that of hydrogen generated. It can be concluded that zirconium-nickel alloy can easily decompose water vapor and can be used to extract hydrogen in the form of hydrogen molecules.