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PreprintCC BYChemRxiv

Comparative Evaluation of Nickel-Plated Steel Wool and Nickel Strip Electrodes for Hydrogen Production from Non-Potable Water Sources

  • Kyle Liou1,2
  1. 1UCLA Scientist Program
  2. 2University of California
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Abstract

Traditional water electrolysis imposes a significant freshwater demand. This study evaluates alternative non-potable feedstocks to reduce this dependency. We present a comparative performance analysis of user-fabricated, three-dimensional (3D) porous nickel-plated steel wool scaffolds versus conventional flat nickel control strips. Testing was conducted across tap water, rainwater, and greywater utilizing a near-neutral sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) electrolyte. Operational performance was quantified via volumetric hydrogen (H2) yield, Faradaic efficiency, and cost-normalized output (mL/$). The porous electrode significantly outperformed the flat strip, increasing Faradaic efficiency by 7% in tap water and 5% in rainwater. Furthermore, the 3D scaffold achieved up to an 8.7× greater hydrogen yield per dollar. These results demonstrate the bench-scale feasibility of low-cost, structured electrodes for reducing freshwater dependence in water electrolysis.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@misc{liou2026comparative,
  title = {{Comparative Evaluation of Nickel-Plated Steel Wool and Nickel Strip Electrodes for Hydrogen Production from Non-Potable Water Sources}},
  author = {Kyle Liou},
  howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15009496/v1},
  url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009496/v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - UNPB
TI  - Comparative Evaluation of Nickel-Plated Steel Wool and Nickel Strip Electrodes for Hydrogen Production from Non-Potable Water Sources
AU  - Kyle Liou
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/27
PB  - ChemRxiv
DO  - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15009496/v1
UR  - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009496/v1
AB  - Traditional water electrolysis imposes a significant freshwater demand. This study evaluates alternative non-potable feedstocks to reduce this dependency. We present a comparative performance analysis of user-fabricated, three-dimensional (3D) porous nickel-plated steel wool scaffolds versus conventional flat nickel control strips. Testing was conducted across tap water, rainwater, and greywater utilizing a near-neutral sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) electrolyte. Operational performance was quantified via volumetric hydrogen (H2) yield, Faradaic efficiency, and cost-normalized output (mL/$). The porous electrode significantly outperformed the flat strip, increasing Faradaic efficiency by 7% in tap water and 5% in rainwater. Furthermore, the 3D scaffold achieved up to an 8.7× greater hydrogen yield per dollar. These results demonstrate the bench-scale feasibility of low-cost, structured electrodes for reducing freshwater dependence in water electrolysis.
ER  -