Preparation and Application of Sodium Borohydride composites for portable hydrogen production

A novel composite consisting of CoB catalyst and NaBH4 compounded with PEG was prepared for portable hydrogen production. The CoB catalyst was synthesized by the reduction of cobalt salt in NaBH4 solution followed by heat treatment in nitrogen atmosphere. The catalyst and NaBH4 were mixed in DMF containing PEG. The resulting mixture gel was then dried and ground into composite powder. The composite powder is stable in dry air and can be easily used for hydrogen production. A rate of hydrogen production of 750 ml/min/g was reached when putting the composite powder into water. The humidified pure hydrogen can be used conveniently for fuel cells.