Hydrogen-Generating Material and Hydrogen Generator

Abstract

A hydrogen generating material of the present invention includes a metal material that reacts with water to generate hydrogen, and a heat generating material that reacts with water to generate heat and is a material other than the metal material. The heat generating material is unevenly distributed with respect to the metal material. The hydrogen generating material has a plurality of regions that differ in content of the heat generating material. The content of the heat generating material is preferably 30 wt % to 80 wt % in a region with the highest content of the heat generating material. A hydrogen generator of the present invention includes the hydrogen generating material and a vessel containing the hydrogen generating material. The vessel can accommodate another inner vessel.

1 . A hydrogen generating material comprising:
 a metal material that reacts with water to generate hydrogen; and   a heat generating material that reacts with water to generate heat and is a material other than the metal material,   wherein the heat generating material is unevenly distributed with respect to the metal material.   
   
   
       2 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , having a plurality of regions that differ in content of the heat generating material. 
   
   
       3 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 2 , wherein the content of the heat generating material is 30 wt % to 80 wt % in a region with the highest content of the heat generating material. 
   
   
       4 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 3 , wherein a proportion of the region with the highest content of the heat generating material is 3 wt % to 40 wt % of the whole hydrogen generating material. 
   
   
       5 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 3 , having a region where the content of the heat generating material is 15 wt % or less. 
   
   
       6 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the hydrogen generating material is in the form of pellets or granules. 
   
   
       7 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the content of the heat generating material present in any one of locations selected from an end portion, a core portion, and a surface portion of the hydrogen generating material is higher than that of the heat generating material present in the other locations. 
   
   
       8 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein a content of the metal material in the whole hydrogen generating material is 85 wt % to 99 wt %. 
   
   
       9 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal material is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, zinc, and magnesium or an alloy composed mainly of the at least one metal. 
   
   
       10 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal material comprises particles with a particle size of 0.1 μm to 60 μm in a proportion of 80 vol % or more. 
   
   
       11 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal material comprises particles with an average particle size of 0.1 μm to 30 μm. 
   
   
       12 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the metal material is in the form of a flake. 
   
   
       13 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 12 , wherein the metal material has a thickness of 0.1 μm to 5 μm. 
   
   
       14 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat generating material is at least one selected from the group consisting of a calcium oxide, a magnesium oxide, a calcium chloride, a magnesium chloride, and a calcium sulfate. 
   
   
       15 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydrophilic oxide, carbon, and a water absorbing polymer. 
   
   
       16 . The hydrogen generating material according to  claim 15 , wherein the hydrophilic oxide comprises at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of alumina, boehmite, silica, magnesia, zirconia, zeolite, and a zinc oxide. 
   
   
       17 . A hydrogen generator comprising:
 a hydrogen generating material; and   a vessel containing the hydrogen generating material,   wherein the hydrogen generating material comprises a metal material that reacts with water to generate hydrogen, and a heat generating material that reacts with water to generate heat and is a material other than the metal material, and   the heat generating material is unevenly distributed with respect to the metal material.   
   
   
       18 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the hydrogen generating material has a plurality of regions that differ in content of the heat generating material. 
   
   
       19 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 18 , wherein the content of the heat generating material is 30 wt % to 80 wt % in a region with the highest content of the heat generating material. 
   
   
       20 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 19 , wherein a proportion of the region with the highest content of the heat generating material is 3 wt % to 40 wt % of the whole hydrogen generating material. 
   
   
       21 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 19 , wherein the hydrogen generating material has a region where the content of the heat generating material is 15 wt % or less. 
   
   
       22 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the hydrogen generating material is in the form of pellets or granules. 
   
   
       23 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the content of the heat generating material present in any one of locations selected from an end portion, a core portion, and a surface portion of the hydrogen generating material is higher than that of the heat generating material present in the other locations. 
   
   
       24 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein a content of the metal material in the whole hydrogen generating material is 85 wt % to 99 wt %. 
   
   
       25 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the metal material is at least one metal selected from the group consisting of aluminum, silicon, zinc, and magnesium or an alloy composed mainly of the at least one metal. 
   
   
       26 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the metal material comprises particles with a particle size of 0.1 μm to 60 μm in a proportion of 80 vol % or more. 
   
   
       27 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the metal material comprises particles with an average particle size of 0.1 μm to 30 μm. 
   
   
       28 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the metal material is in the form of a flake. 
   
   
       29 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 28 , wherein the metal material has a thickness of 0.1 μm to 5 μm. 
   
   
       30 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the heat generating material is at least one selected from the group consisting of a calcium oxide, a magnesium oxide, a calcium chloride, a magnesium chloride, and a calcium sulfate. 
   
   
       31 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the hydrogen generating material further comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of a hydrophilic oxide, carbon, and a water absorbing polymer. 
   
   
       32 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 31 , wherein the hydrophilic oxide comprises at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of alumina, boehmite, silica, magnesia, zirconia, zeolite, and a zinc oxide. 
   
   
       33 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the vessel comprises an inlet A for introducing water into the vessel and an outlet B for discharging hydrogen from the vessel. 
   
   
       34 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the heat generating material is arranged so that water is supplied first to a region with the highest content of the heat generating material when water is introduced into the vessel. 
   
   
       35 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 17 , wherein the vessel accommodates another inner vessel, and the inner vessel contains the heat generating material and comprises an inlet C for introducing water into the inner vessel. 
   
   
       36 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 35 , wherein the inner vessel further contains the metal material. 
   
   
       37 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 36 , wherein a content of the heat generating material with respect to a total amount of the heat generating material and the metal material contained in the inner vessel is higher than that of the heat generating material in the whole hydrogen generating material present outside the inner vessel. 
   
   
       38 . The hydrogen generator according to  claim 37 , wherein the content of the heat generating material in the whole hydrogen generating material present outside the inner vessel is 1 wt % to 15 wt %.