DOE OSTI2010
Amine borane (AB) is a very high capacity hydrogen storage material that meets DOE gravimetric and volumetric targets for on-board delivery of hydrogen for fuel cell vehicles (FCVs). This research helped make process toward the ultimate goal of practical generation of spent AB and added to the understanding of materials and processes required to utilize AB in practical applications. In addition, this work helped to enhance our fundamental understanding of the properties of boron materials now being pursued for new frustrated Lewis pair catalyst systems for activation of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, of interest for carbon capture and fuels production. This project included four primary areas of investigation: (1) synthesis of borate esters for use as amine borane regeneration intermediates, (2) spent ammonia borane fuel generation and analysis, (3) spent fuel digestion for production of borate esters, and (4) worldwide borate resource analysis. Significant progress was made in each of these areas during the two-year course of this project, which involved extensive collaborations with partners in the Center of Excellence for Chemical Hydrogen Storage, and particularly with partners at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Results of the boron resource analysis studies indicate that sufficient boron reserves exist within the United States to meet forecast requirements for a U.S. fleet of hydrogen FCVs and sufficient resources are available worldwide for a global fleet of FCVs.