Aluminum as fuel, energy density 8 times that of hydrogen

Found Energy, a startup founded in 2022 by former NASA scientist Peter Godart, is commercializing a solution to turn aluminum into a carbon-free source of heat and hydrogen. According to published data, the aluminum can release 15.8 megajoules of heat per kilogram and create hydrogen with an energy density of 36.3 megajoules per liter, nearly eight times that of liquid hydrogen, which is 7.2 megajoules per liter by volume. The company has raised a $12 million seed round and plans to install its first system at a tool manufacturing facility in the Southeast early next year, using on-site aluminum scrap as input.

Developments and status of commercialization

Found Energy’s lab said in late October it was preparing to install its first industrial customer for heat and hydrogen. No pricing data or commercial discounts for the solution were available yet; the focus is now on testing, demonstrating, and deploying the first system in the field early next year.

Technology Platform and Key Data

Heat released when aluminum is oxidized: 15.8 MJ/kg.
The hydrogen produced has an energy density of up to 36.3 MJ/liter; in comparison, liquefied hydrogen reaches 7.2 MJ/liter.
The aluminum-water reaction produces aluminum oxide and releases heat and hydrogen; the hydrogen is generated on-site, avoiding the risk of gas or liquid storage.
The traditional obstacle is the surface aluminum oxide layer that blocks the deep reaction; Found Energy uses a liquid metal catalyst that penetrates the microstructure, peeling off the oxide layer so that the reaction proceeds continuously like a “boiler”.

Peter Godart, founder and CEO of Found Energy, at the company's lab. Photo: MIT

Historical comparison and expert opinion

The idea of using aluminium as a fuel has been explored for decades. Geoff Scamans (Brunel University London) studied aluminium as a fuel for vehicles in the 1980s but failed because the aluminium-water reaction was not efficient enough. Peter Godart admits that the oxide barrier has caused “people to try and abandon the idea many times”, but believes that a corrosive liquid metal catalyst was the breakthrough to sustain the reaction.

Catalyst-treated aluminum pellets (glass box on the left) and raw aluminum flakes (right). Photo: MIT

Trend and scenario analysis

In the short term, Found Energy aims to provide industrial heat and hydrogen on-site to manufacturing facilities, initially a tool factory in the Southeast. In the medium term, if it is stable and expands, the model can simultaneously solve two bottlenecks: reducing emissions in the cement and steel industries and processing large volumes of “dirty” aluminum scrap that is difficult to recycle.

Raw material supply and demand capacity

Indicators	Mass	Source
Aluminum scrap collected is not recycled each year	More than 3,000,000 tons	International Aluminum Institute
Aluminum is not collected or burned with trash.	9,000,000 tons/year	International Aluminum Institute
Aluminum needed for “closed loop” model to meet all industrial thermal needs	300,000,000 tons (≈4% of reserves)	According to company estimates

In terms of the material cycle, the company plans to recover aluminum hydroxide from the reactor and use clean electricity to reduce it to metallic aluminum, creating a “closed loop” input. If scaled as internally estimated, the amount of aluminum entering the cycle would be about 300,000,000 tons, equivalent to about 4% of the Earth’s aluminum reserves.

Potential impact on related industries

Heavy industry: Carbon-free heat sources can reduce emissions in the cement and steel industries.
Aluminum recycling market: The ability to consume “dirty” aluminum opens up a channel for processing difficult-to-recycle scrap, improving the efficiency of the material life cycle.
Hydrogen: On-site hydrogen production from the aluminum-water reaction avoids the risks of storing gaseous or liquid hydrogen.

Variables to monitor

Details of the catalyst composition have not been released.
There are no data on cost, performance and reliability at commercial scale.
First system deployment and field operational feedback scheduled for early next year.

In a lab demonstration, Godart said the aluminum reacted to bring water to a boil immediately upon addition, highlighting the speed at which energy is released: “It would take longer to boil water on your stove than this.”

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/nhom-thanh-nhien-lieu-mat-do-nang-luong-gap-8-lan-hydrogen-397616.html