Tuesday, April 1, 2008 - 4:30 AM

Phase Separation Characteristics of H2SO4-HI-H2O-I2 Mixture System in Sulfur-Iodine Hydrogen Production Process

Young-Ho Kim1, Kwang-Jin Lee1, Young-Seak Lee1, Chu-Sik Park2, and Ki-Kwang Bae2. (1) Chungnam National University, (2) Korea Institute of Energy Research

Hydrogen is an attractive fuel for the future energy system as a secondary energy carrier. One of the promising methods for hydrogen production is the thermochemical water splitting using heat energy from nuclear, solar sources and so on. Sulfur-iodine (SI) process is a great potential technology as one of the thermochemical water splitting methods. From the concept of IS process, the process is largely consisted with three sections of (1) Bunsen reaction, (2) HI decomposition and (3) H2SO4 decomposition. For highly efficient operation of a Bunsen reaction section, the phase separation characteristics of H2SO4-HI-H2O-I2 mixture system into two liquid phases (H2SO4-rich phase and HIx-rich phase) and the distribution of H2O to each phase were investigated. The experiments for process variables were carried out in the temperature range, from 298 to 393 K, and in the H2SO4/HI/H2O/I2 molar ratio of 1/2/14~30/0.3~13.5. As the results, for the SO2-I2-H2O Bunsen reaction system, the ranges between the starting point and the saturation point for phase separation were determined on the basis of calculation. The desired results for the minimization of impurities (HI and I2 in H2SO4 phase and H2SO4 in HIx phase) in each phase were obtained in conditions with the highest temperature and the highest I2 molar composition. For the distribution of H2O to each phase, it is appeared the affinity between HI x and H2O was more superior to that between H2SO4 and H2O.

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