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Accelerated thermal decomposition of AlH3 for hydrogen-fueled vehicles

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Abstract

The potential for using aluminum hydride, AlH3, for vehicular hydrogen storage is explored. It is shown that particle-size control and doping of AlH3 with small levels of alkali-metal hydrides (e.g. LiH) results in accelerated desorption rates. For AlH3–20 mol % LiH, 100 °C desorption kinetics are nearly high enough to supply vehicles. It is highly likely that 2010 gravimetric and volumetric vehicular system targets (6 wt % H2 and 0.045 kg/L) can be met with onboard AlH3. However, a new, low-cost method of off-board regeneration of spent Al back to AlH3 is needed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Contractor to DOE Sandia National Laboratories, SunaTech, Inc., 113 Kraft Place, Ringwood, NJ, 07456, USA

    G. Sandrock

  2. Department of Energy Science and Technology, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, 11973, USA

    J. Reilly, J. Graetz, W.-M. Zhou, J. Johnson & J. Wegrzyn

Authors
  1. G. Sandrock
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  2. J. Reilly
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  3. J. Graetz
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  4. W.-M. Zhou
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  5. J. Johnson
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  6. J. Wegrzyn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Sandrock.

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PACS

68.43.Vx; 68.43.Mn; 83.80.Fg; 84.60.Ve; 51.30.+i; 61.10.Nz

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Sandrock, G., Reilly, J., Graetz, J. et al. Accelerated thermal decomposition of AlH3 for hydrogen-fueled vehicles. Appl. Phys. A 80, 687–690 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-004-3105-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-004-3105-0

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