ʻO Brazil ka mea hana nui loa o ka honua i ka niobium a paʻa ma kahi o 98 pakeneka o nā mea mālama ola ma ka honua. Hoʻohana ʻia kēia mea kemika i nā ʻāpana metala, ʻoi aku ka ikaika kiʻekiʻe, a ma kahi ʻano palena ʻole o nā noi ʻenehana kiʻekiʻe mai nā kelepona hele a i nā ʻenekini mokulele. Hoʻokuʻu aku ʻo Brazil i ka hapa nui o ka niobium i hana ʻia ma ke ʻano o nā waiwai e like me ka ferroniobium.

ʻO kekahi mea ʻē aʻe ʻo Brazil kekahi i ka nui nui akā ʻaʻole i hoʻohana ʻia ʻo glycerol, kahi huahana o ka aila a me ka saponification momona i loko o ka ʻoihana kopa a me ka ʻoihana holoi, a me nā hopena transesterification i ka ʻoihana biodiesel. I kēia hihia, ʻoi aku ka maikaʻi o ke kūlana no ka mea ua hoʻolei pinepine ʻia ka glycerol ma ke ʻano he ʻōpala, a paʻakikī ka hoʻolei pono ʻana i nā puke nui.

ʻO kahi haʻawina i hana ʻia ma ke Kulanui Federal o ka ABC (UFABC) ma São Paulo State, Brazil, ua hui pū ʻia ka niobium a me ka glycerol i loko o kahi hopena ʻenehana hoʻohiki i ka hana ʻana o nā wahie. He ʻatikala e wehewehe ana i ke aʻo ʻana, i kapa ʻia ʻo "Niobium enhances electrocatalytic Pd activity in alkaline direct glycerol fuel cell," i paʻi ʻia ma ChemElectroChem a hōʻike ʻia ma ka uhi o ka puke pai.

"Ma ke kumu, e hana ka cell e like me ka glycerol-fueled battery e hoʻopiha hou i nā mea uila liʻiliʻi e like me nā kelepona kelepona a i ʻole nā ​​​​lapona. Hiki ke hoʻohana ʻia ma nā wahi i uhi ʻole ʻia e ka pā uila. Ma hope hiki ke hoʻololi ʻia ka ʻenehana no ka holo ʻana i nā kaʻa uila a hiki i ka hāʻawi ʻana i ka mana i nā hale. Loaʻa nā noi palena ʻole i ka wā lōʻihi, "i ʻōlelo ʻia e ka chemist Felipe de Moura Souza, ka mea kākau mua o ka ʻatikala. Loaʻa iā Souza kahi haʻawina kauka kauka mai São Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESP.

I loko o ke keena, hoʻololi ʻia ka ikehu kemika mai ka glycerol oxidation reaction i ka anode a me ka ea oxygen ho'ēmi i loko o ka cathode i uila, waiho wale ke kinoea kalapona a me ka wai i koena. ʻO ka hopena piha C3H8O3 (wai glycerol) + 7/2 O2 (oxygen gas) → 3 CO2 (carbon gas) + 4 H2O (wai wai). Hōʻike ʻia kahi hōʻike schematic o ke kaʻina hana ma lalo nei.

"Ke komo nei ʻo Niobium [Nb] i ke kaʻina hana ma ke ʻano he co-catalyst, e kōkua ana i ka hana o ka palladium [Pd] i hoʻohana ʻia e like me ka anode cell cell. ʻO ka hoʻohui ʻana o ka niobium hiki ke hoʻokaʻawale ʻia ka nui o ka palladium, e hoʻohaʻahaʻa i ke kumukūʻai o ke kelepona. I ka manawa like e hoʻonui nui ai i ka mana o ke kelepona. Akā ʻo kāna haʻawina nui ʻo ia ka hoʻemi ʻana i ka make electrolytic o ka palladium i loaʻa mai ka oxidation o nā intermediates i hoʻopaʻa ikaika ʻia i ka hana lōʻihi o ka cell, e like me ka carbon monoxide, "wahi a Mauro Coelho dos Santos, he kaukaʻi ma UFABC. , kākā'ōlelo thesis no ke kākelē laeoʻo o Souza, a me ka mea noiʻi poʻokela no ke aʻo ʻana.

Mai ka hiʻohiʻona o ke kaiapuni, ʻoi aku ka nui ma mua o ka mea e pono ai ke hoʻoholo i nā koho ʻenehana, ua manaʻo ʻia ka glycerol fuel cell he hopena maikaʻi no ka mea hiki ke hoʻololi i nā ʻenekini puhi ahi i hoʻohana ʻia e nā wahie fossil.