Detergent in the Tank.

Borax may prove useful in a lot more than laundry detergent. DaimlerChrysler engineers believe a variant of the innocuous white powder provides a safe, compact way to contain hydrogen. The lack of such storage for the notoriously flammable gas has been a key obstacle to the development of fuel-cell-powered cars. Borax's first performance is in a concept minivan called the Chrysler Town & Country Natrium (Latin for sodium, an element in borax).

A fairly simple chemical process joins borax and hydrogen in a manner that renders the gas nonflammable. When mixed with water in the Natrium's fuel system, this sodium borohydride powder produces free hydrogen for the fuel cell (see chart). Unlike other alternative fuel systems, such as those using methanol and gasoline, the Natrium produces no pollution and no carbon dioxide.

Better yet, the powder holds more hydrogen than the most densely compressed air tank. The prototype van can drive 300 miles on a tank of fuel—much farther than the typical fuel cell vehicle. The same tank of hydrogen compressed by conventional means would fill most of the van's cargo area.

The by-products of this process are water and sodium borate—basically the same stuff as in soap. After use, the spent powder goes into a storage tank. DaimlerChrysler envisions gas station pumps that would exchange sodium borohydride for spent sodium borate. Tankers would resupply stations with the hydrogen-carrying powder and return the used stuff to the refinery.

Hydrogen would be added in a chemical plant. And in a pinch, says Tom Moore, vice president of technical affairs, "You could wash your hands with the residue."

Several auto manufactures have had the problem, Chrysler, Volvo, GM, prolly more, but the steering column problem in the Chrysler's had to do with zinc plated bolts, in the Volvo's it was zinc plated kingpins, and the GM's was a reaction of the hardened steel of the rear axle to a zinc additive in the axle grease(IIRC).

In these cases, hydrogen was a byproduct of the anti-corrosion coating(zinc) reacting with the coated metal. once the coating is cracked it becomes a zinc-iron battery, and weakens the iron electro-chemically.

I.E. Cracking due to hydrogen embrittlement of steel under stress occurs when atomic hydrogen diffuses through the metal lattice, where they recombine to hydrogen molecules producing an internal pressure in the metal. Absorption of atomic hydrogen by the prestressing steel usually occurs by cathodic charges, which develop in a corrosive environment when steel is electrically coupled to more anodic metal, e.g., zinc coating.

The atomic hydrogen may be formed by the corrosion process itself or as a result of some manufacturing operations, e.g., pickling or welding.

Cracking of the steel can either be a direct consequence of the tensile stresses developed by the hydrogen molecules within the metal lattice during their formation from two hydrogen atoms or in combination with tensile stresses. It should be mentioned that different steel types are differently susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement.

There is now a zinc coating process that overcomes this, and it involves (oddly enough) fusing iron to the zinc coating and heat bonding it to the steel to be protected, but there are prolly still quite a few 90-96 autos out there that missed the recalls.

Stay safe.

Another oldie FR topic.

A fairly simple chemical process joins borax and hydrogen in a manner that renders the gas nonflammable.

NOT A SOURCE OF HYDROGEN, but perhaps a practical way to store it. The proposed spent fuel exchange system is analogous to the electrolyte exchange system proposed 35 years ago or more for the upcoming battery powered auto fleet we were soon to have. :') Adding the hydrogen back in could be done at night, using off-peak capacity.

Obviously, a single standard would be needed, and that would have to be set by the gov't.

Uh-oh, here it comes -- more socialism!!! /sarc

Something else has to make the hydrogen.

I don't know which is true but if it is the first then the hydrogen has to come from somewhere to be added to the Borax.

From the article above:

When mixed with water in the Natrium's fuel system, this sodium borohydride powder produces free hydrogen for the fuel cell

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.