The effect of carbon and silicon-based additives on theudhydrogen storage properties of Lithium Borohydride

摘要

LiBH(_4) was added to a number of different non-reactive additives in order to investigate their influence on the hydrogen storage properties of LiBH(_4).udGraphite is a cheap and abundant material that has been used to destabilize hydrogen storage materials such as LiH. Ball milling graphite under Ar was shown to induce a higher amorphous content compared to milling under H(_2). The addition of LiBH(_4) to graphite milled under Ar resulted in a reduction of 102°C in the decomposition temperature of udLiBh(_4).udThe effect of porous additives was investigated through the incorporation of LiBH(_4) into zeolite templated carbon (ZTC) and porous silicon. Confinement in these scaffolds resulted in a decrease in the decomposition temperature of LiBH(_4) by 125°C. The smaller pore size of ZTC was found to have the greatest effect on the H(_2) onset and cyclic stability of LiBh(_4).udThe pre-melting of LiBh(_4) into porous scaffolds was shown to eliminate B(_2)H(_6) release during decomposition. No correlation between the surface area of the additives and decomposition temperature of LiBH(_4) was observed. Although none of the materials studied in this work meet the United States DoE targets, confinement of LiBH(_4) in porous structures offers a promising approach to unlocking its potential.