Thermochemical production of hydrogen: Synthesis, characterization, and decomposition of copper oxychloride

摘要

Copper oxychloride, Cu_2OCl_2, was synthesized from CuCl, or CuCl_2·2H_2O in a tubular furnace in a dry air atmosphere between 325 and 400 °C. Thermal gravimetric and gas analysis of the reaction products were used to follow the decomposition of Cu _2OCl_2 in both dry air and argon environments. The thermograms show the release of chlorine and oxygen gases, the volatilization of CuCl, and a residue, identified as CuO, of ～17 to 25% which varies as the conditions of the run. A mechanism of reaction able to describe the experimental results has been proposed and used to explain other published data.