Hydrogen Storage Properties of Porous Carbon Nano-Confined LiBH4 Materials

Lithium borohydride (LiBH4) has a high mass hydrogen storage density (18.5 wt%) and volume hydrogen storage density (121 kg/m3), which is a potential hydrogen storage material. However, its poor thermodynamic and kinetic properties and harsh reversible conditions limit the application of LiBH4. Using the nanoconfined method, the hydrogen storage performance of LiBH4 in porous carbon materials (PC) was studied. By means of melt impregnation, the most suitable impregnation amount of 80% LiBH4 was screened out in PC. The desorption temperature of LiBH4 in the nanometer confined domain is significantly lower than that of pure LiBH4, and the initial desorption temperature is reduced from about 300 ℃ to about 130 ℃, which effectively improves the thermodynamic properties of LiBH4. In addition, 1.4 wt% H2 can be released after nano-confined LiBH4 is kept at 160 ℃ for 100 min, and 8.4wt % H2 can be released after nano-confined LiBH4 is kept at 370 ℃ for 100 min. This is the amount of hydrogen release that pure LiBH4 cannot reach at the same temperatures, indicating that nano-confined LiBH4 also improves the kinetic properties of LiBH4.