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Title: Preparation, characterization, and use of metal hydrides for fuel systems. Progress report, June 1, 1979-August 31, 1980. Final report

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:5227605

The chemical reactivity of aluminum hydride, the alkaline-earth metal hydrides, and the alkali-metal alanates was investigated. All of the materials can be photolytically decomposed at room temperature with high intensity uv light to produce hydrogen gas irreversibly. ..cap alpha..-AlH/sub 3/, LiAlH/sub 4/ and NaAlH/sub 4/ powders can be irreversibly isothermally decomposed at elevated temperatures. Exposure of the material to /sup 60/Co ..gamma.. rays modifies the decomposition. The rate constants of all thermal decomposition stages are increased with increasing dose, and the overall time to complete the decomposition is shortened. This effect has been interpreted as the result of the formation of additional decomposition nuclei by the radiation. The activation energies for the ..gamma..-ray pre-irradiated material are the same as for the pristine material indicating that the same decomposition process is occurring in both. ..gamma..-ray pre-irradiation also modifies the photolytic decomposition kinetics. However, the induced effects are complex and each material behaves differently with increasing ..gamma..-ray dose. The crystal structure determinations on single crystal NaAlH/sub 4/ indicated that a different number of conjugate hydrogen atoms surround the alkali metal atoms in the alanates as the atomic weight of the alkali metal increases. The kinetic parameters and the behavior of the materials to uv light and various pretreatments can be used to evaluate the practical usefulness of these solids as lightweight hydrogen gas generators. Of all the hydrides examined, ..cap alpha..-AlH/sub 3/ satisfies almost all of the necessary criteria. Apart from the fact that ..cap alpha..-AlH/sub 3/ decomposes irreversibly to yield hydrogen and it cannot be recharged in situ, the material is ideal as a solid hydrogen gas generator. The residue is recyclable, the material is stable to water vapor and the decomposition temperature ideal.

Research Organization:
State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook (USA). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
DOE Contract Number:
AS02-76ER02715
OSTI ID:
5227605
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/02715-T1; COO-5000-5; ON: DE82009654
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English