The Role of Microstructural Length Scale in Hydrogen Generation Features of an Al-Sn-Fe Alloy
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experimental Procedures
2.1. Preparation of Alloys
2.2. Directional Solidification (DS)
2.3. Determination of Solidification Thermal Parameters
2.4. Microstructural Analysis
2.5. Hydrogen Evolution Tests
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Solidification Thermal Parameters and Solute Concentrations
3.2. Macrostructure and Microstructural Evolution
3.3. Phases Forming the Microstructure
3.4. Hydrogen Production Features
3.5. Relationship between Microstructure and Hydrogen Production Behavior
4. Conclusions
- -
- The microstructure of the studied alloy revealed a notable uniformity consisting of α-Al phase dendrites with a plate-like morphology along with the presence of Sn-rich particles and Al13Fe4 IMCs in the interdendritic areas.
- -
- The microstructural refinement achieved in this alloy through variations in the cooling regime during solidification induced a 56.25% increase in the hydrogen production rate, rising from 0.16 to 0.25 mL g–1 s–1, without affecting the hydrogen yield, which remained around 88%.
- -
- An experimental equation based on the Hall–Petch relationship and multiple linear regression is introduced to associate the hydrogen production rate (ΦAVE) with the primary and secondary dendritic arm spacings (λ1 and λ2, respectively). The equation is expressed as follows: ΦAVE = –19.99λ1−1/2 +22.29λ2−1/2 +2.34.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Metals | Al | Sn | Fe | Ag | Cu | Zn | Ni | Pb |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Aluminum | Balance | - | 0.073 | - | 0.01 | 0.005 | 0.006 | 0.006 |
Tin | 0.0006 | Balance | 0.0025 | 0.0002 | 0.0004 | 0.0020 | 0.0001 | 0.001 |
Iron | - | - | Balance | - | 0.01 | - | 0.01 | - |
Solute | Position in Relation to the Metal–Mold Interface | ||
---|---|---|---|
5 mm | 30 mm | 70 mm | |
Sn | 9.273 | 9.094 | 9.039 |
Fe | 1.150 | 1.209 | 1.188 |
Dependent Variable | Statistical Term | Statistical Values | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
R2 | 0.849 | |||
F | 0.076 | |||
Intercept | λ1−1/2 | λ2−1/2 | ||
Coefficient | 2.342 | −19.992 | 22.295 | |
p-value | 0.337 | 0.376 | 0.346 |
Material | Solution | Hydrogen Production Rate [mL g–1 s–1] | Reference |
---|---|---|---|
Al-9Sn-1Fe alloy | 1 M NaOH | 0.16 (coarser microstructure) 0.25 (finer microstructure) | This work |
Al-Ga-In-Sn-Mg alloys | Water at 40 °C | from 0.053 to 0.126 | An et al. [26] |
Al-Ga-In-Sn alloys | Water at 70 °C | from 0.167 to 2.33 | An et al. [27] |
Al matrix composites with carbon nanotubes | 10 wt.% NaOH | from 0.33 to 2.03 | Yu et al. [43] |
Al-Ga-In-Sn alloys | Water at 70 °C | from 4.33 to 11.18 | Jin et al. [44] |
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Barros, A.; Konno, C.; de Paula, A.; Silva, C.; Garcia, A.; Cheung, N. The Role of Microstructural Length Scale in Hydrogen Generation Features of an Al-Sn-Fe Alloy. Metals 2024, 14, 187. https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020187
Barros A, Konno C, de Paula A, Silva C, Garcia A, Cheung N. The Role of Microstructural Length Scale in Hydrogen Generation Features of an Al-Sn-Fe Alloy. Metals. 2024; 14(2):187. https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020187
Chicago/Turabian StyleBarros, Andre, Camila Konno, Andrei de Paula, Cassio Silva, Amauri Garcia, and Noé Cheung. 2024. "The Role of Microstructural Length Scale in Hydrogen Generation Features of an Al-Sn-Fe Alloy" Metals 14, no. 2: 187. https://doi.org/10.3390/met14020187