Compressed hydrogen generation using chemical hydride

In a closed pressure vessel, the reaction of sodium borohydride (NaBH(4)) with Pt-LiCoO(2) catalyst and a stoichiometric amount of water drastically increases the pressure owing to the generation of large quantities of hydrogen gas by synergism of hydrogen pressure and the catalyst (gravimetric hydrogen density per unit weight of NaBH(4) and H(2)O including the Pt-LiCoO(2) catalyst is 9.0 wt.%, volumetric hydrogen density per unit weight of NaBH4 and H(2)O including the Pt-LiCoO(2) catalyst is 101 kg H(2)/m(-3)). The hydrogen densities are high enough to reach the US Department of Energy (DOE) targets for use in a fuel cell vehicle (FCV) and also for other applications such as a fuel cell uninterrupted power supply (FCUPS). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.