Thomas Audichon

Hydrogen Production From Water Electrolysis

The thermodynamics of the water electrolysis is first explained. Then consideration on the reaction kinetics are depicted. The materials used for the different water electrolysis systems (proton exchange membrane electrolysis cell -PEMEC-, alkaline electrolysis cell -AEC- and solid oxide electrolysis cell -SOEC-) are described. The main phisicochemical and electrochemical methods for their chracterization are described as well as their performances in classical electrochemical cell and in real electrolysis cell.

Hydrogen Production From Thermal Reforming

The production of hydrogen by thermal processes is described. Firstly, the main thermal processes for the reforming of fossil fuels are discussed. Secondly, the thermal processes for the heat treatment of biomass are also presented. Thermal treatments of carbon-containing compounds always lead to a reformate consisting of a mixture of H 2 , CO, CO 2 , N 2 , HO, etc., which needs to be purified to yield pure hydrogen usable for energy and industrial applications.

Chapter 4 – Hydrogen Production From Biomass Electroreforming

In this section, alternative systems to water electrolysis for electrochemical hydrogen synthesis such as conventional alcohols (methanol, ethanol), biosourced polyols (ethylene glycol, glycerol), and saccharides from nonedible biomass are discussed. The importance of the nature, composition, and structure of catalysts and of the reaction medium on the activity and selectivity is presented. It is shown that the control of the electrode potential, catalyst composition, and reaction medium allows tuning the selectivity and increasing the activity, and further to produce simultaneously high purity hydrogen at the cathode of an electrolysis cell and value-added compounds with high selectivity at the anode of the electrolysis cell.