The present disclosure relates generally to new forms of portable energy generation devices and methods. The devices are designed to covert formic acid into released hydrogen, alleviating the need for a hydrogen tank as a hydrogen source for fuel cell power.

Processes for transforming an inert metal component into an active metal catalyst are provided. Apparatus and methods using active metal catalyst prepared according the process described herein are also provided.

The invention relates to a method for producing catalysts by the method of combustion in solution, to the catalysts produced by said method, and to the particular use thereof in the reverse water-gas shift reaction and in the partial oxidation of the methane into synthesis gas. Therefore, it is understood that the present invention pertains to the area of the green industry aimed at the reduction of CO.sub.2 on the planet.

Disclosed is a hydrocarbon gas reforming supported catalyst, and methods for its use, that includes a catalytic material capable of catalyzing the production of a gaseous mixture comprising hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO) from a hydrocarbon gas and a clay support material comprising a clay mineral, wherein the catalytic material is chemically bonded to the clay support material, and wherein the chemical bond is a M1-M2 bond, where M1 is a metal from the catalytic material and M2 is a metal from the clay support material, or the chemical bond is a M1-O bond, where M1 is a metal from the catalytic material and oxygen (O) is from the clay support material, wherein the supported catalyst comprises at least 70% or more by weight of the clay support material.

A gas generating apparatus generates hydrogen having carbon monoxide concentration of 0.1% or less by reacting hydrogen carbide and water together without requiring a platinum catalyst. The gas generating apparatus includes a gas instantaneously-heating mechanism that instantaneously heats a source gas, and a catalyst vessel connected to the gas instantaneously-heating mechanism and containing a catalyst. A high-temperature heated source gas beam generated by the gas instantaneously-heating mechanism, which contains hydrogen carbide and water, is caused to collide with the catalyst to generate a gas. Heat of the source gas is transmitted to a catalyst surface because of the absence of a stagnation layer, and a non-equilibrium reaction efficiently proceeds on the catalyst. Hydrogen can be extracted with a low-cost ruthenium catalyst.

An autothermal reforming catalytic structure for generating hydrogen gas from liquid hydrocarbons, steam and an oxygen source. The autothermal reforming catalytic structure includes a support structure and nanosized mixed metal oxide particles dispersed homogenously throughout the support structure.

A reformer system (11) having a hydrodesulfurizer (12) provides desulfurized natural gas feedstock to a catalytic steam reformer (16), the outflow of which is treated by a water gas shift reactor (20) and optionally a preferential CO oxidizer (58) to provide reformate gas (28, 28a) having high hydrogen and moderate carbon dioxide content. To avoid damage to the hydrodesulfurizer from overheating, any deleterious hydrogen reactants, such as the oxygen in peak shave gas or olefins, in the non-desulfurized natural gas feedstock (35) are reacted (38) with hydrogen (28, 28a; 71) to convert them to alkanes (e.g., ethylene and propylene to ethane and propane) and to convert oxygen to water in a catalytic reactor (38) having no sulfide sorbent, and cooled (46), below a temperature which would damage the reactor, by evaporative cooling with pressurized hot water (42). Hydrogen for the desulfurizer and the hydrogen reactions may be provided as recycle reformate (28, 28a) or from a mini-CPO (67), or from other sources.

Provided is a production method for a porous alumina material, comprising the steps of: mixing an alkoxysilane solution that comprises an alkoxysilane, a mixed solvent comprising water and an alcohol, and an inorganic acid, with an aluminum solution comprising an aluminum compound and water, to prepare a mixed solution in which the aluminum compound and the alkoxysilane are dissolved in the mixed solvent; co-precipitating aluminum hydroxide with a silicon compound in the mixed solution, to form a precipitate; and baking the precipitate to form a porous alumina material comprising aluminum oxide and silicon oxide.

The invention relates to a composition that contains a first semiconductor SC1, particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state selected from among an element of groups IVB, VB, VIB, VIIB, VIIIB, IB, IIB, IIIA, IVA and VA of the periodic table, and a second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide, with said first semiconductor SC1 being in direct contact with said particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state, with said particles being in direct contact with said second semiconductor SC2 that comprises indium oxide in such a way that the second semiconductor SC2 covers at least 50% of the surfaces of the particles that comprise one or more element(s) M in the metal state. The invention also relates to its preparation method as well as its application of photocatalysis.

Disclosed is a method of producing hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas and calcium carbonate from formaldehyde. The method includes combining an aqueous base, formaldehyde, and a transition metal complex having a coordination bond between a transition metal and a leaving group to form a homogeneous aqueous solution having a basic pH, wherein the leaving group dissociates from the transition metal complex in response to light and/or the basic pH of the solution, producing hydrogen (H.sub.2) gas and formate or a salt thereof from the formaldehyde present in the homogeneous aqueous solution, and producing calcium carbonate using the formate or salt thereof as a carbon source.