Experimental investigation of particle dissolution rates in aqueous solutions for hydrogen production

Results of reaction kinetics studies of chemical processes related to materials integration of the thermochemical copper-chlorine cycle for hydrogen production are reported. The reaction rate of solid cuprous chloride (CuCl) in liquid hydrochloric acid is investigated experimentally for various acid concentrations. A rate constant—a function of constituent concentrations—describes how quickly the reactants are converted into products in satisfying the activation energy to enable the reaction to move forward. In this paper, the change in area of a solid CuCl particle is examined, rather than concentration in previous studies. New predictive models are developed to describe the characteristics of the chemical reaction in terms of its transition states and reaction mechanisms.