Storage and Transportation Opportunities of Hydrogen

Abstract There are a few different approaches for hydrogen transportation and storage. Hydrogen can be stored as a compressed gas, as a liquid (at 20 K), and in solid state compounds. The first two methods are established technologies with several limitations, the most important being their energy intensive character. Hydrogen storage in metal hydrides is considered one of the most attractive methods. While hydrogen has many obvious advantages, there remains a problem with storage and transportation. Hydrides reduce the risk factors of gaseous or liquid hydrogen. The metal hydrides provide a safe method for fuel storage in hydrogen-powered vehicles. LiBH4 is a complex hydride which consists of 18% mass of hydrogen. Therefore, there are many reasons why hydrogen-storage materials, for example LiBH4, will be used in the future at many ranges. Hydride formation, reaction (absorption and/or chemisorption) between metal (M) and hydrogen (H2) is: M + nH2 MH2n+ Q.