Finding alternative energies to coal and oil and other non renewable resources has been an ongoing thing for several decades. Our dependency on these fuels for our daily life is contingent on the fact that these resources will last forever, which we all know is untrue. Thus I find it fascinating to hear that a researcher at Michigan State University has discovered the ability to use alkali metals to in turn make hydrogen which in turns creates energy to make the fuel cells which can currently be used to power gadgets such as laptops and cell phones. The materials needed for this reaction are as plentiful as the sand on the sea because the basic raw materials needed is salt and sand which can be formulated into alkali metal silicides.
Another push that today’s society is undergoing which stems off of non renewable recourses, is the push to make things greener. We can see this more evident with the greater number of fuel saving cars on the road and emphases on recycling. This new ground breaking research is also green. The only byproduct besides hydrogen when mixing water with sodium silicide is sodium silicate, which is green and perfect for the environment.
See: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110217151455.htm
Posted by Khalid Hakim
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This sounds like a great earth-friendly development in science. It is especially vital in today's world where oil seems to be dwindling with the situation in the middle east. I am curious as to how this researcher turns alkali metals into hydrogen and if it would work only on a new technology or if it could be used on older computers like my own. Salt and sand do seem like very readily available resources to be consumed for a project like this, I'm just curious as to how he does it.
ReplyDelete