Patent ID: 7658904

Claim:
A process for the production of hydrogen by the thermochemical route from water, based on the chlorine/cerium cycle, in which, according to a first reaction scheme, the following reactions are carried out: H 2 O+Cl 2 =2HCl+½O 2 ; (A) 8HCl+2CeO 2 =2CeCl 3 +Cl 2 +4H 2 O; (B) 2CeCl 3 +4H 2 O=2CeO 2 +6HCl+H 2 ; (C) or in which, according to a second reaction scheme, the following reactions are carried out: H 2 O+Cl 2 =2HCl+½O 2 ; (A) 8HCl+2CeO 2 =2CeCl 3 +Cl 2 +4H 2 O; (B) 2CeCl 3 +2H 2 O=2CeOCl+4HCl; (B′) 2CeOCl+2H 2 O=2CeO 2 +2HCl+H 2 ; (C′) and in which the reaction (B) for the chlorination of cerium oxide is carried out in the liquid phase, the cerium chloride passing into solution.