Hitachi Maxell Develops 10-Watt Fuel Cell Using Water-Aluminum Reaction

Hitachi Maxell, Ltd., a Japanese electrical device manufacturer, has developed a fuel cell using water and aluminum to generate hydrogen, it was announced on April 24, 2006. The company has also succeeded in developing a 10-watt mobile power source using the fuel cell, which can run a laptop PC.

The newly developed fuel cell is a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC), based on a hydrogen generation system utilizing the reaction between aluminum and water. Maxell's own aluminum microparticulation processing technology has made it possible to generate 1.3 liters of hydrogen by adding water to one gram of aluminum particles. By replacing the water and aluminum cartridges, a long-time operation of laptop PCs or emergency power sources is possible.

The company has also succeeded in developing a new membrane-electrode assembly (MEA), a key component of the fuel cell. With Maxell's dispersion and coating technologies, the core technologies cultivated through its magnetic tape production, the MEA has a maximum power density of 280 mW/cm2 (among the world's best) at room temperature, which is five times higher than that of direct methanol fuel cells, according to Maxell's data.

Aluminum is not an expensive material and more effective uses of this resource can be expected through recycling used aluminum in the future. Maxell plans to use its newly developed fuel cells as 10- to 100-watt power sources.

http://www.maxell.co.jp/e/release/20060421.html

Posted: 2006/07/12 05:44:56 AM
Japanese version