Exploration of New Technologies for Hydrogen Storage

Abstract

In this thesis, a couple of new methods were developed for the purpose to improve hydrogen storage on various hydrides. Multiple disciplines beyond materials sciences, included device design, electromagnetic theory and others was involved in this thesis. 1) A NaBH4/H3BO3 hydrolysis system with practically 5.23 wt% H2 was studied, and a simple prototype hydrogen generator was constructed and demoed in public many times. 2) Powder MAlH4/NH4X mixture was found to release H2 in low temperature with 5.6 ¿ 6.6 wt% H2. It is safer and cheaper than pure MAlH4. 3) An efficient microwave-active composite material was developed and applied on quick release H2 on various hydrides successfully. This material can be heated by microwaves spectacularly (> 4200 °C/min) and efficiently (>> 90%). 4) Mechanism of microwave heating of metal and powders was investigated. Result shown that resistance/resistivity played an important role in microwave heated. Random behavior of microwave heating on metal and their powder could be explained. 5) A pressurized microwave reactor was designed and built. Hydride formation on as-received Mg was performed on this microwave reactor. Initial tests showed that direct hydrogen charging of as-received Mg powders was not feasible. However, a quick annealing-charging tandem method was developed, so that hydrogen can be charged to Mg easily under microwaves.