[billnotgatez]

Here is a news report about hydrogen production
-------------------------------------
http://news.uns.purdue.edu/hp/WoodallAluminum.html
http://news.uns.purdue.edu

New aluminum-rich alloy produces hydrogen on-demand for large-scale uses
Purdue University engineers have developed a new aluminum-rich alloy that produces hydrogen by splitting water and is economically competitive with conventional fuels for transportation and power generation.
"We now have an economically viable process for producing hydrogen on-demand for vehicles, electrical generating stations and other applications," said Jerry Woodall, a distinguished professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue who invented the process.


------------
There is more story than what I posted
for the rest of it see the link -
at least for now it is

[billnotgatez]

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2008a/080219WoodallAluminum.html

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007a/070515WoodallHydrogen.html

www.purdue.edu/dp/energy/pdfs/MARKETWATCH_Producing_hydrogen_Woodall.pdf

http://news.uns.purdue.edu/x/2007b/070827WoodallNanotech.html

These are newer links

[vmelkon]

Old thread.
I think the first aluminum/gallium alloy was discovered to react with water sometime in the 1960's, so it is a old discovery.
Anyway, the problem would be that you have to spend energy to make aluminum. What energy source would you use? Coal? Oil? Hydro? Solar?
And as it reacts, it releases a lot of heat.

Might as well drop some zinc in HCl if you want Hydrogen.

[billnotgatez]

i thought they were using aluminum-rich alloy as a catalyst