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To: Richnorth who wrote (80675)	1/11/2002 8:08:52 AM
From: long-gone	Respond to of 116758

forget increases in number of $ increasing value of precious metals, how about pure demand - from fuel Cells? (Could this be what Gates & Buffet know)? A fuel cell is a device in which the energy released in the oxidation of a conventional fuel is made directly available in the form of an electric current. It thus avoids the wasteful detour of the conventional thermal power stations, i.e., the generation of electricity via the “inferior” thermal energy. Although the principle of the fuel cell was formulated by W. Ostwald as long ago as 1894, it is only in recent years that some success has been achieved in the construction of efficient cells of this kind. In the fuel cell constructed by Baurand Ehrenberg in 1911 a carbon rod serves as the fuel. It functions as the anode, introducing C++++ ions into the solution. This necessitates an operating temperature of 1000 degree - 1100 degree C. The electrolyte is molten soda. The cathode, consisting of molten silver, forms 0-- ions from the oxygen that is continuously injected. According to the equation C++++ + 2 0 -- = CO2, the reaction product obtained is carbon dioxide, just as in ordinary combustion. For every carbon atom that is converted, four electrons are given off to the carbon rod and four electrons are withdrawn from the oxygen electrode. These electrons can produce a current in an external circuit. According to this conception, a coal-burning stove is an internally short- circuited fuel cell. The major disadvantage of the fuel cell described above is the high temperature and, consequently, the very short service life of the materials employed. Less severe conditions can be achieved by using gases (hydrogen, in particular) as the fuel. Thus, the Bacon fuel cell (H2O2 cell) produces current densities of up to about 61/2 amp./in.2 at a temperature of 240 degree C. The pressure of the aqueous electrolytes does, however, rise to 1000 lb./in.2 and upwards. The ionization of the gas fed to the cell is effected at diffusion electrodes of nickel. These are porous sintered components which on one side are connected to the gas supply and on the other side are in contact with the electrolyte. The active region is at the boundary of the three phases gas/electrode/electrolyte. To make this boundary as long as possible, all the pores must have the same optimum diameter, as is clarified by (principle of homoporosity). In order completely to obviate the passage of unutilized gas through the pores, each electrode is provided with a fine- pored cover layer (double-layer electrode). As a result of the high catalytic activity of the electrodes employed, the cell can operate already at room temperature. The H2O2 cell designed by Justi and Winsel , which is known as the dissolved fuel cell, also operates at ordinary temperatures. In this cell the oxygen electrodes contain Raney silver and the hydrogen electrodes contain Raney nickel as the catalyst. Already at temperatures below 100 degree C (and at atmospheric pressure, too!) this cell attains current density values almost as high as those of the Bacon cell. The fundamental voltage is over 90% of the theoretically attainable voltage of 1.23 volt. The electrodes employed are described as “double-skeleton catalyst electrodes”. Because of their great catalytic activity, they are able to dehydrate liquid organic fuels (e.g., methanol). This results in the relatively simple constructional features of the dissolved fuel cell . The alcohol serving as fuel is mixed with the electrolyte (potassium hydroxide solution). iao.com