Patent · US Active

Method of manufacturing micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride

US7427302B1 · kind B1 · utility

1Cited by
3References
4Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJun 8, 2007
Grant dateSep 23, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 8, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E60/36
  • WIPO fieldChemical engineering
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A compact solid source of hydrogen gas, where the gas is generated by contacting water with micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in the presence of a catalyst, such as cobalt or ruthenium. The micro-disperse particles can have a substantially uniform diameter of 1-10 microns, and preferably about 3-5 microns. Ruthenium or cobalt catalytic nanoparticles can be incorporated in the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride, which allows a rapid and complete reaction to occur without the problems associated with caking and scaling of the surface by the reactant product sodium metaborate. A closed loop water management system can be used to recycle wastewater from a PEM fuel cell to supply water for reacting with the micro-disperse particles of sodium borohydride in a compact hydrogen gas generator. Capillary forces can wick water from a water reservoir into a packed bed of micro-disperse fuel particles, eliminating the need for using an active pump.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.