Understanding water-splitting thermochemical cycles based on nickel and cobalt ferrites for hydrogen production

Abstract

Two step water-splitting cycles by using metal ferrites are considered as a clean and sustainable hydrogen production method, when concentrated solar energy is used to drive the thermochemical reactions. This process involves the reduction at very high temperature of the ferrite, followed by the water reoxidation to the original phase at moderate temperature, with the release of hydrogen. In order to decrease the temperature required to decompose the oxide, mixed ferrites of the type MFe2O4 with spinel crystal structure have been examined. In this sense, ferrites with the partial substitution of Co and Ni for Fe appear as successful materials in terms of hydrogen production and cyclability. In this work, commercial Ni and synthetic Co ferrites have been subjected to two water splitting cycles. The solid products obtained after thermal reduction and water decomposition reactions have been chemically and structurally characterized by WDXRF, XRD, XPS and SEM techniques, in order to get a deeper understanding of the mechanisms controlling the water splitting process. This knowledge contributes to improve the process involved in thermochemical cycles and to understand the lower efficiencies (H-2/O-2) for Co ferrite thermochemical cycles in comparison with those corresponding to Ni ferrite