Making Hydrogen

[JayC1990]

The guy who posted above me is correct.
Recently (last week) I had to do a chemistry presentation for 10 year olds as a part of my Grade 11 chem course (I'm 16). One part of it involved recombining hydrogen and oxygen (several 10ml measuring cyclinders and 2 larger 25ml cylinders were used) to make a nice bang.
I collected my hydrogen using a power pack supplied by my school. It was kinda slow, out-putting only 30v and 0.5 amps. However, after adding some sulphuric acid to the water, it boosted conductivity to about 2.5-3 amps. Just yesterday I completed modding an ATX powersupply that I will soon be using to power my electrolysis experiments. It's output is 20 amps at 5v, 12 ams at 24v. All i need is some sulphuric acid, and I'm right to start.
My container for the electrolysis is an empty 5L ice-cream container with two steel nails melted through the bottom, and hot glued to make it water tight. It's not perfect, but it does me ok.

JayC

 

[akg]

Any low PH acid or solubile ionic compound will accelerate the decomposition .but will chopped DC will again accelerate it?

 

[akg]

Any low PH acid or soluble ionic compound will accelerate the decomposition .but will chopped DC will again accelerate it?

 

[Blueteeth]

...but will chopped DC will again accelerate it?

I have no idea. As I said, anecdotal evidence was given on keelynet, and I haven't tried this myself. I guess from a theorectical point of view, some form or resonance could be used, I'm pretty sure the bond between hydrogen-oxygen atoms would require large frequencies, probably in the IR spectrum, although, its a very strong bond so it'll be shorter than say, a carbon-hydrogen.

But, the 'hydrogen bond' (a surprisingly strong bond, which is why water is a liquid, when it should be a gas at room temp) which holds molecules together (van de vall forces?) would be much longer, due to its elasticity maybe a standing wave would rip them apart better, giving steam, which is split into h2 and o2 a bit easier. The frequencies given mean nothing to me, just saying what others have said.

All the above is pure speculation, and random idea's. Please don't take it to heart, its probably a waste of text, but it seems no-one has ever tried experimenting with it. And I'm sure one could boost the efficiency of electrolysis of water, but it will never be >100% obviously, which is why hydrogen cars are worse than petrol engines.

My two pence,

Blueteeth.

 

[jonw]

If you really want large amounts of Hydrogen, then just mix aluminum and lye. You know, the drain cleaner. I have never done this, so PLEASE BE CAREFULL! I know that it is a very quick and effective way to make A LOT of hydrogen, VERY QUICK! You better have a BIG balloon! Seriously, though, this is a fast and simple way to make it.

Aluminum foil and Sodium Hydroxide works really well. I did an experiment last spring and got everything from lowes (except the aluminum foil I got from Dollar General). I built a chamber out of PVC pipe (sealing one end and putting on a twist on cap on the other. I drilled a small hole for pressure release and then installed a short pipe on one side with a valve. I then put water in it (filled about 1/2 way), about 3 or 4 balls of aluminum foil and a cup of sodium hydroxide (my local Lowe's stocks it in the plumbing section..used to remove clogs). Screwed the top on and opened the valve. Within seconds steam started coming out of the valve. I lit it and had a small flame for about twenty minutes. If you do the same thing be very careful. I would also recommend building a second chamber filled with mostly with water to filter out the aluminum oxide.

 

[cyb0rg777]

I have'nt done this for a long time but I saw a video a while back you might like to see. If you don't want to see the whole thing the invention I was thinking of starts about 20 min.

**broken link removed**

The narator says it takes a half an amp at high voltage, they don't say how high. He also says it runs at 20khz. Maybe this will give you some ideas for experiments.

 

[theinfamousbob]

A mole of gas is 22Ltr

I think the above is correct.

Mike.

I think that's assuming standard temperature and pressure...I can't remember what the pressure is (1 atm?), but it's 0*C...

 

[bizzareodave]

Sorry I haven't read the rest of the posts so this may be a repeat,

This is what I do when I want to make hydrogen...

2Al(s) + 2NaOH(aq) + 6H2O(l) ---> 2Na(Al(OH)4)(aq) + 3H2(g)

Add Aluminium to Caustic soda and Water and collect the gas...

Note: Alot of H2 is generated this way quite quickly. Becareful as the hydrogen may explode if you heat it too much and you'll end up with Water again, and a charcoal face... =P

 

[Sceadwian]

Be careful whenever adding a caustic soda concentration to water! It creates heat! So do it slowly.

 

[rowling]

Aluminum foil and Sodium Hydroxide works really well. I did an experiment last spring and got everything from lowes (except the aluminum foil I got from Dollar General). I built a chamber out of PVC pipe (sealing one end and putting on a twist on cap on the other. I drilled a small hole for pressure release and then installed a short pipe on one side with a valve. I then put water in it (filled about 1/2 way), about 3 or 4 balls of aluminum foil and a cup of sodium hydroxide (my local Lowe's stocks it in the plumbing section..used to remove clogs). Screwed the top on and opened the valve. Within seconds steam started coming out of the valve. I lit it and had a small flame for about twenty minutes. If you do the same thing be very careful. I would also recommend building a second chamber filled with mostly with water to filter out the aluminum oxide.

I was looking for an idea for a science project using hydrogen from aluminum as an alternative fuel source. The above project has captured my interest. A few questions from a self-declared rank amateur, if you don't mind.

What dimensions of pvc was used?

To filter out the aluminum oxide, would you put the inlet near the bottom / lower part of the second tube and an outlet at the top, causing the hydrogen to pass through the water and have the water act as a filter?

What do you think about using a pressure relief valve in lieu of the drilled hole? Is a pressure relief valve necessary?

Thanks

Glen.

 

[Sceadwian]

Keep in mind that all aluminum has to be electroplated out of an ore sollution. Anything that uses aluminum as the raw material for the creation of hydrogen won't be able to even get back the energy required to create that aluminum in the first place.. It's one of the if not the most recycled metal I know of because of that. The energy required to reprocess it is many times less than it takes to concetrate it from ore.

 

[tytower]

aluminum It's one of the if not the most recycled metal I know of because of that. The energy required to reprocess it is many times less than it takes to concetrate it from ore.

I would suggest that it also has to do with its low melting point
Lead, being a bit lower, is also a candidate for that title of most recycled

 

[audioguru]

Bad things? What kind of bad things?

Very bad. Nuclear fission? The atomic bomb.
Lots of kids have nuked their cities by experimenting with electrolysis and the voltage was too high.

 

[Overclocked]

I think that's assuming standard temperature and pressure...I can't remember what the pressure is (1 atm?), but it's 0*C...

1ATM=76Torr=760 Hg/mm

I got my hands on some NaOH at walmart , It has Sodium Nitrate in it (which could prove useful...). It also has small bits of Aluminum in it.

 

[steven]

im doing great extracting hydrogen and oxygen from water[ hydroxy gas ], and the simplest circiut i used for it . was a flyback driver circiut . with one modification to it , this driver circiut push pull type circiut sure dose great and in all my world wide serches on the net for some simpler way of doing it , this really takes the cake and im suprized no one has tried this one

 

[mneary]

im suprized no one has tried this one

A mixture of Oxygen and Hydrogen is incredibly unstable, easily ignited by the tiniest spark. For safety, you have to keep them separated until it's time to use their energy.

 

[Stronghold_2]

Electrolysis of Acidified Water

Water is a bad conductor of heat and electricity. As a result it needs to be acidulated before it is decomposed by electrolysis, which is the only way it can be decomposed. Hence, we generally use Hydrochloric Acid to acidify the water so that it may conduct electricity. When this water is put in a Hoffman's Voltameter and the circuit is completed, the electricity splits the water into oxygen and hydrogen, which collect at the positive and negative limbs respectively due to their charges. The dissolved acid does not decompose as it is unaffected by electricity. It remains dissolved in the water which does not decompose, after the experiment. Hence we have the formula:

[2(H2O) + HCl] > electricity > [2(H2) + O2] + HCl

 

[Hero999]

Not just acidified but ionised. You could use an alkaline substance like NaOH and it would still have the same effect.

 

[Thunderchild]

perhaps salt water has something to do with it ?
try using battery acid thats what we did at school I can't remember which tube the teacher lit but he demonstrated the burning of either the oxygen or the hydrogen I forget which

 

[Hero999]

Oxygen doesn't burn in oxygen, it's the other way round, hydrogen burns in oxygen.

Pure water is an insulator, in order for it to become a conducto it needs to be ionised and this is normally is done by adding an ionic compound. Unfortunatey the ionic compound normally decomposes to give chemicals other than just oxygen and hydorgen, for example, common salt gives toxic chlorine gase and sodium hydroxide. I don't know if there are any ionic compounds that don't decompose or reform in the mixture so no other chemicals are produced.