Borohydride fuel formulation

Abstract

A solid composition containing at least one borohydride compound and at least one base.

Description

Claims

1. A solid composition comprising: (a) from 50% to 98% of at least one borohydride compound; and(b) from 2% to 50% of at least one base.

2. The composition of claim 1 in which said at least one borohydride compound is sodium borohydride, potassium borohydride or a combination thereof, and said at least one base is sodium, lithium or potassium hydroxide, sodium or potassium methoxide, or a combination thereof.

3. The composition of claim 2 having at least 2.5% of said at least one base and no more than 97.5% sodium or potassium borohydride.

4. The composition of claim 3 in which the borohydride compound is sodium borohydride and the base is sodium hydroxide.

5. The composition of claim 4 having from 3% to 17% sodium hydroxide and from 83% to 97% sodium borohydride.

6. The composition of claim 5 having 15% sodium hydroxide and at least 85% sodium borohydride.

7. A method for rapid production of an aqueous borohydride solution comprising a step of adding the composition of claim 1 to water in an amount sufficient to produce a solution having from 1% to 40% solids.

8. The method of claim 7 in which the solution has from 5% to 35% solids.

9. A method for improving flow of powdered metal borohydride salts; said method comprising adding at least 2.5% of at least one base selected from alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal alkoxides and alkaline earth alkoxides to at least one metal borohydride.

10. The method of claim 9 in which said at least one base is sodium hydroxide and said at least one metal borohydride is sodium borohydride.