IBrazil lelona lizwe likhulu ngokuvelisa i-niobium kwaye ibambe malunga nama-98 ekhulwini ovimba okhoyo emhlabeni. Le element yekhemikhali isetyenziswa kwiialloys zetsimbi, ngakumbi intsimbi ephezulu, kwaye kuluhlu oluphantse lungenasiphelo lwezicelo zobuchwepheshe obuphezulu ukusuka kwiiselfowuni ukuya kwiinjini zenqwelomoya. IBrazil ithumela kumazwe angaphandle uninzi lweniobium eyivelisayo ngohlobo lweemveliso ezifana neferroniobium.

Enye into eBrazil ikwanazo ngokwemiyinge kodwa isetyenziswa ngaphantsi yi-glycerol, imveliso ye-oyile kunye ne-fat saponification kwishishini lesepha kunye nezokucoca, kunye neempendulo ze-transesterification kwishishini le-biodiesel. Kule meko imeko imbi ngakumbi kuba i-glycerol idla ngokulahlwa njengenkunkuma, kwaye ukulahlwa ngokufanelekileyo kwemithamo emikhulu kunzima.

Uphononongo olwenziwe kwi-Federal University ye-ABC (UFABC) eSão Paulo State, eBrazil, idibanise i-niobium kunye ne-glycerol kwisisombululo esithembisayo sezobuchwepheshe ekuvelisweni kweeseli zepetroli. Inqaku elichaza isifundo, elinesihloko esithi "I-Niobium iphucula umsebenzi we-Pd we-electrocatalytic kwiiseli ze-alkaline ngqo ze-glycerol," ipapashwe kwi-ChemElectroChem kwaye ifakwe kwiphepha lephephancwadi.

"Ngokomgaqo, iseli iya kusebenza njengebhetri efakwe i-glycerol ukutshaja izixhobo ezincinci zombane ezifana neeselfowuni okanye iilaptops. Ingasetyenziswa kwiindawo ezingagqunywanga yigridi yombane. Ethubeni itekhnoloji inokulungiswa ukuba iqhube izithuthi zombane nokuba zibonelele ngombane ezindlini. Kukho izicelo ezingenamkhawulo ezinokubakho ekuhambeni kwexesha, ”usokhemisti uFelipe de Moura Souza, umbhali wokuqala weli nqaku uxelele. USouza unezifundo zobugqirha ezithe ngqo kwiSão Paulo Research Foundation-FAPESP.

Kwiseli, amandla ekhemikhali avela kwi-glycerol oxidation reaction kwi-anode kunye nokunciphisa umoya we-oxygen kwi-cathode iguqulwa ibe ngumbane, ishiya kuphela i-carbon gas kunye namanzi njengeentsalela. Ukusabela okupheleleyo yi-C3H8O3 (i-glycerol yolwelo) + 7/2 O2 (igesi ye-oxygen) → 3 CO2 (igesi yekhabhoni) + 4 H2O (amanzi alulwelo). Umelo olucwangcisiweyo lwenkqubo luboniswe ngezantsi.

"I-Niobium [Nb] ithatha inxaxheba kwinkqubo njenge-co-catalyst, incedisa isenzo se-palladium [Pd] esetyenziswe njenge-anode ye-fuel cell. Ukongezwa kwe-niobium kwenza ukuba isixa se-palladium sibe sisiqingatha, sinciphisa iindleko zeseli. Ngexesha elifanayo kwandisa kakhulu amandla eseli. Kodwa igalelo layo eliphambili kukuncipha kwetyhefu ye-electrolytic ye-palladium ephuma kwi-oxidation yabaphakathi ababhengezwa ngamandla ekusebenzeni kwexesha elide kweseli, njenge-carbon monoxide, utshilo uMauro Coelho dos Santos, unjingalwazi kwi-UFABC. , umcebisi wethisisi yesidanga sobugqirha esithe ngqo sikaSouza, kunye nomphandi oyintloko wophononongo.

Ukusuka kwimbono yokusingqongileyo, eyona nto ifanele ibe sisibakala esigqibekayo sokhetho lwetekhnoloji, iseli ye-glycerol fuel ithathwa njengesisombululo esilungileyo kuba inokutshintsha iinjini zokutsha eziqhutywa ngamafutha efosili.