Hydrogen Generation From Acetic Acid Catalyzed Magnesium Hydride Using an On-Demand Hydrogen Reactor

This study reports an acetic acid catalyzed hydrolysis reaction for hydrogen generation from magnesium hydride (MgH₂) using an on-demand hydrogen reactor. Acetic acid, a weak and benign organic acid, has been reported as a single catalyst in hydrolysis reaction for hydrogen generation using other substrates, but this is the first study where acetic acid has been employed as a catalyst in a magnesium hydride hydrolysis reaction for hydrogen generation. In this study, the effects of MgH₂ weight, acetic acid concentration and external temperature on hydrogen generation from MgH₂ were examined. The results of the hydrolysis reaction indicated that the weight of MgH₂ was the major factor influencing hydrogen generation, followed by the concentration of acetic acid while the effect of external temperature was insignificant. Similarly, hydrogen yield was proportional to the weight of MgH₂ with a reported maximum hydrogen yield at each weight been: 0.4g (∼ 0.07 L); 0.8 g (∼ 0.125 L) and 1.2 g (∼1.285 L). The successful use of acetic acid in the study reinforced the versatility of the on-demand hydrogen reactor and as a scalable technology for hydrogen generation.