The efficiency of hydrogen production by water electrolysis with bitter melon as a media using stainless steel/Fe-Co-Ni electrodes

Abstract

This study aims to determine the production efficiency of hydrogen gas with the addition of bitter melon using stainless steel/Fe-Co-Ni electrodes on water electrolysis process and also to obtain the smallest required energy of hydrogen gas production. Stainless steel/Fe-Co-Ni was made from electrodeposition stainless steel by using e-DAQ E-Chem instrument at a rate of 50 mV/s for 10 minutes. Electrodeposition result was characterized using linear voltammetry, SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscope-Energy Dispersive X-Ray) and XRD (X-Ray Diffraction). Stainless steel/Fe-Co-Ni electrodes was used as working electrodes on water electrolysis. The process of water electrolysis used 0.5 % NaHCO3 solution and an additional amount of bitter melon (0.1-1 %w/v). Each of the samples was electrolyzed in a cyclic voltammetry by using e-DAQ E-Chem instrument at a rate of 50 mV/s. The study results showed that the addition of bitter melon in electrolyte solution is less efficient to produce the hydrogen gas. But, related to the energy, the smallest required energy of hydrogen gas production by water electrolysis with bitter melon as a media using stainless steel/Fe-Co-Ni electrodes occurs at the addition of 0.6 % (w/v) bitter melon flour, which is 0.001 Volt with the efficiency of hydrogen gas generation was 51.06 %. Thus, we can state that the optimum efficiency of hydrogen gas production occurs at the addition of 0.6 % bitter melon flour in 0.5 % NaHCO3 solution.