Application of acidic accelerator for production of pure hydrogen from NaBH4

Wameath S Abdul-Majeed,William B Zimmerman,Muhammad T Arslan

doi:10.1007/s40090-014-0015-7

Wameath S Abdul-Majeed, William B Zimmerman + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s40090-014-0015-7

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Abstract

Feasibility of using hydrochloric acid (HCl) as an accelerator for onboard production of hydrogen from sodium borohydride (NaBH4) is investigated. The aim was to examine process efficiency, hydrogen purity and process controllability which concurs onboard 2015 hydrogen storage target (5.5 wt%) for vehicular fuel cell system application. Results showed that a highest yield and controllable hydrogen production rate are achievable upon adopting onboard reaction of HCl (3 M) and an aqueous alkaline solution of 30 % NaBH4 via a T-junction and applying a gas–liquid separation of two stages. Cost evaluation and product stream analysis have demonstrated an exceptional performance for the examined scheme and relevancy to be adopted for feeding vehicular electrochemical fuel cell systems.

Highlights

In view of the fact that hydrogen is the key energy carrier, interests are increasingly exhibited to utilize it as a fuel for internal combustion engines and electrochemical fuel cells
The aim was to examine process efficiency, hydrogen purity and process controllability which concurs onboard 2015 hydrogen storage target (5.5 wt%) for vehicular fuel cell system application
Results showed that a highest yield and controllable hydrogen production rate are achievable upon adopting onboard reaction of hydrochloric acid (HCl) (3 M) and an aqueous alkaline solution of 30 % NaBH4 via a T-junction and applying a gas–liquid separation of two stages

Summary

Introduction

In view of the fact that hydrogen is the key energy carrier, interests are increasingly exhibited to utilize it as a fuel for internal combustion engines and electrochemical fuel cells. Technical issues such as storage and transportation are still big barriers against its wider use [1]. Reasons were reported to be mainly related to a difficulty in recycling meta-borates to borohydride and incapability to achieve system storage targets [6]. Hydrogen can be generated from sodium borohydride through catalytic hydrolysis reaction at low temperature, in which four moles of hydrogen are released in addition to the sodium meta-borate as by-products [7, 8]

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