A Recycling Hydrogen Supply System of NaBH4 Based on a Facile Regeneration Process: A Review

• Main Authors: Liuzhang Ouyang, Hao Zhong, Hai-Wen Li, Min Zhu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2018-01-01
• Series: Inorganics
• Subjects: sodium borohydride (NaBH4); hydrolysis; regeneration
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/2304-6740/6/1/10

NaBH4 hydrolysis can generate pure hydrogen on demand at room temperature, but suffers from the difficult regeneration for practical application. In this work, we overview the state-of-the-art progress on the regeneration of NaBH4 from anhydrous or hydrated NaBO2 that is a byproduct of NaBH4 hydrolysis. The anhydrous NaBO2 can be regenerated effectively by MgH2, whereas the production of MgH2 from Mg requires high temperature to overcome the sluggish hydrogenation kinetics. Compared to that of anhydrous NaBO2, using the direct hydrolysis byproduct of hydrated NaBO2 as the starting material for regeneration exhibits significant advantages, i.e., omission of the high-temperature drying process to produce anhydrous NaBO2 and the water included can react with chemicals like Mg or Mg2Si to provide hydrogen. It is worth emphasizing that NaBH4 could be regenerated by an energy efficient method and a large-scale regeneration system may become possible in the near future.