The objective of this project is to determine if titanium (III) chloride (TiCl3) will react with the outer layer of a pyrophoric hydride fuel to form an impermeable layer on the surface to prevent oxygen and water from reacting explosively with the hydride. Pyrophoric materials like the hydride in the fuel cell can take the form of a solid, liquid, or gas and will ignite immediately with oxygen or moisture in the air. Therefore these materials are very difficult to handle and transport safely. Additionally an unstable reaction, known as thermal runaway, can occur with excess heat buildup inside a battery cell. To prevent this exothermic reaction from occurring at a high rate the titanium trichloride theoretically should react with the aluminum to create an aluminum oxide or chloride to form a surface layer that will not react with air or water. Due to the corrosive and harmful nature of the TiCl3, necessary PPE and proper precautions must be taken during experimentation with this chemical. The first set of testing for determining if TiCl3 will be a compatible and effective passivation agent is thermal sensitivity testing. If the TiCl3 is stable at 100oC where the thermal runaway occurs, surface area testing can occur. Using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), an elemental map can be created and surface images can be taken pre- and post-coating to see the differences and determine if the coating fully and completely covers the surface of the alumina pellets, aluminum granules, and aluminum hydride tablets. If all of this testing is successful the eventual goal would be to complete the same tests with the pyrophoric lithium aluminum hydride fuel itself.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Watson, Morgan
• Soden, Kristen
• Calistra, Abigail

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 105001
• E-project-042523-155003

Advisor

• Kmiotek, Stephen J.

Year

• 2023

Sponsor

• Honeywell, Inc

Date created

• 2023-04-25

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Chemical Engineering

Source

• E-project-042523-155003

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2023-06-22