Effect of oxygen on radiolytic hydrogen production from X-type zeolite-water mixtures

X型ゼオライトと水との混合物からの線照射による水素発生に対する酸素の効果

熊谷 友多   ; 木村 敦; 田口 光正

Kumagai, Yuta; Kimura, Atsushi; Taguchi, Mitsumasa

Effect of oxygen on radiation-induced reactions in zeolite-water mixture was studied, in order to obtain a fundamental understanding on radiolytic hydrogen production from the mixture. The hydrogen production from the mixture of an X-type zeolite with aqueous solution was examined under argon-saturated, aerated, and oxygen-saturated conditions. Three effects of oxygen were proposed based on the obtained results. One effect is preventing dissolved aluminum from producing hydrogen. The solution contained dissolved aluminum, which produces hydrogen through a reaction with hydrated electron. The aluminum elution indicates that oxygen reacts with hydrated electron in competition with dissolved aluminum. Another effect is inhibition of hydrogen produced from the irradiated zeolite. The inhibiting effect was observed in the irradiation of the zeolite with adsorbed water. The other effect is indirect inhibition of hydrogen by promoting hydrogen peroxide generation. The hydrogen production was further inhibited when the zeolite was submerged in water. The further inhibition suggests that hydrogen peroxide from the interstitial water inhibited the hydrogen production.