Production of sodium borohydride (NaBH4) from kernite minerals and investigation of production mechanism

Continues decrease in quantity of the fossil fuel and undesired environmental effects by their usage in energy production made it compulsory going towards to newer and clearer energy production resources. When hydrogen was compared to the recent systems in aspects of cost, environmental effects and efficiency, it pays attention as an alternative energy carrier instead of the fossil fuel systems at the end of Century 21st.The most essential property of the hydrogen is that it is storable. Hydrogen must be stored in an effective, easy and reliable way for both stable and portable applications. Hydrogen can both be stored as pure liquid or gas and also stored physically in carbon nanotubes or chemically as hydrides.Recent researches focus on storage of hydrogen in chemical hydrides especially in sodium borohydride (NaBH4). NaBH4 has more advantages to the other hydrogen carrying ways since it has much hydrogen storage capacity compared to other similar purpose compounds and it gives pure hydrogen by an easily controlled hydrolysis reaction.In this study, two different continue and batch H2-fed NaBH4 production methods, in which kernite mineral was used as a boron resource, was performed. As a result of the experimental studies, it seen that kernite mineral can be used as alternative mineral to borax in the NaBH4 production processes as boron resource.Keywords: Sodium borohydride, hydrogen energy, boron minerals, fuel cells.