The following was triggered by a New Scientist articele about a "new" 
way of storing Hydrogen for fuel calls. Google reveals it is far from 
new, but worth knowing about.

The Stanford intro is superb:

    http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/hydrogen_workshop/Wu.pdf#search=%22borohydride%22

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Fuel cell which looks likely to allow practical devices with energy
desnities 3+ times higher than Lithium polymer cells. [[Also ISTM that
a specialist version of this with processing in use (dissolving solids
etc) could produce a system with energy densities several timeshigher
again.

The key factor is H2 storage as a borohydride and release using a
Ruthenium catalyst.

        http://www.newscientisttech.com/article.ns?id=dn10066&print=true

No mention was made of any possible use for Hydrogen storage for
combustion (or propellants :-) ). Volumetric Hydrogen density may well
be high compared with LH but mass wise it's abysmal.

The mines at Boron may yet prove to have been fortuitously located.

___

Wikipedia well informed thereon

        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_borohydride

Stanford - very nice 22 page slideshow.

30% BH soln         63g H2/litre
LH                            71g/l
5000 psi GH            23g/l
10,000 psi "G"H      39 g/l




        http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/hydrogen_workshop/Wu.pdf#search=%22borohydride%22



__________________

Chemist Don Gervasio and colleague Sonja Tasic, both at Arizona State
University in the US, set out to develop a fuel cell that would
generate more electricity for its weight than the best batteries, and
would also work at room temperature.

Gervasio's solution was to use the alkaline compound borohydride. A
30% solution of borohydride in water actually contains one-third more
hydrogen than the same volume of liquid hydrogen.

"The difference is that the borohydride is at room temperature, and
it's stable, non-toxic and cost-effective," Gervasio says.

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