Intermetallic TiFe particles generation within porous monolithic carbon materials arising from paper mill waste and their cooperative hydrogen storage properties.

A new materials composed of TiFe particles stabilized onto a carbon support is described. The carbon support is derived from a waste from the paper industry called Kraft Black liquor. The particles are generated through an impregnation/reduction process of a mixture of titanium ethoxide and iron nitrate followed by a thermal treatment. The generated particles have been investigated through XPS, XRD and SEM analysis as well as tested for hydrogen storage. The hydrogen storage at 25 °C leads to a capacity of up to 0.5 wt% while at 150 °C, free of the carbon absorption, leads to a capacity of 0.2 wt% without any prior activation process. Novel TiF@carbo(HIPE) materials have been synthesized while employing Kraft black liquor as carbonaceous source. A specific carbo-reduction thermal treatment allows a synergetic TiFe particles external shell reduction concomitant with the surrounding carbonaceous backbone oxidation enhancing thereby the materials specific surface area and associated microporosity. Pre-activation free, TiFe@Carbo(HIPE) can achieve a capacity up to 0.5 wt% at 25 °C where TiFe particles and the carbonaceous host support are acting cooperatively. [Display omitted] • Generation and characterization of carbon from a waste from the paper industry. • Generation of TiFe nanoparticles on the carbon. • Characterization of the TiFe nanoparticles. • Use of the hybrid composite TiFe@Carbon for hydrogen storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]