Originally published March 9 2005
New crystalline nano-cubes make hydrogen power more attainable
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Scientists at BASF have produced nano-cubes that are designed to capture and trap vast quantities of gas, allowing hydrogen fuel cells to come closer to reality. Since hydrogen is very light, it takes up a lot of space per unit mass, making transport and storage difficult. But the nano-cube has an enormous amount of surface area for its small size, and hydrogen can be captured on the surfaces of the nano-cube, making storage much more efficient.
A canister filled with newly developed "nanocubes" is able to hold several times more gas than an empty one.
The crystals represent part of the company's commitment to the emerging field of nanotechnology -- materials on the scale of a billionth of a meter.
In the case of these nanocubes, it is only the pores that are nano-scale -- the crystals themselves are the size of salt grains.
A "fuel cell" reacts the hydrogen with oxygen in a controlled way to generate electricity efficiently.
Hydrogen is the lightest element, and so to store it effectively as a liquid it must be cooled to extremely low temperatures, or else crammed into reinforced containers at very high pressure.
Hydrogen is absorbed on to the structure of the crystal, and the high surface area means that large volumes can be stored, even at a relatively low pressure and temperature.
Other materials, such as zeolites and activated carbon, can also absorb gases, but have a much lower capacity and can require higher pressures and temperatures.
The safer operating conditions of nanocubes mean that they could also store hydrogen for fuel cells in smaller electronic appliances.
Different gases are absorbed on to the crystal at particular rates, and so nanocubes can be used as "molecular sieves".
This could be used by hospitals to extract pure oxygen very cheaply from the air, or as an atmospheric scrubber to keep the air fresh aboard submarines or the space station.
These large pores also mean that gas can be pumped in and out of the crystal with ease.
But it is the metal-organic framework itself that the gas molecules bind to, and scientists are keen to increase its absorption.
All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. Truth Publishing LLC takes sole responsibility for all content. Truth Publishing sells no hard products and earns no money from the recommendation of products. NaturalNews.com is presented for educational and commentary purposes only and should not be construed as professional advice from any licensed practitioner. Truth Publishing assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. For the full terms of usage of this material, visit www.NaturalNews.com/terms.shtml