franklyn
International Hazard
Posts: 3026
Registered: 30-5-2006
Location: Da Big Apple
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Car-boom a la carte
It's established that Aluminum or Magnesium suspensions in water or
methanol can be explosively reacted with appropriate sensitizing and
an initiating booster.
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=361#pi...
It follows that any strong reducing substance that is mildly reactive in
solution may be a candidate for a similar application.
Sodium borohydride has been the subject of much investigation as a
possible chemical storage medium for hydrogen fuel in automotive
applications. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NaBH4
http://gcep.stanford.edu/pdfs/hydrogen_workshop/Wu.pdf#searc...
Its very high expense , particularly for sample quantities
http://www.sciencelab.com/page/S/PVAR/10426/SLS4615
http://www.usbweb.com/category.asp?special=&cat=bio&...
militates against its commonplace availability unless industrial economies
of scale comparable to the production of aluminum , can be generally
employed. http://www.borax.com/pioneer25.html
http://www.hydrogen.energy.gov/pdfs/progress05/vi_b_1_wu.pdf...
Sodium borohydride is water soluble but decomposes slowly
unless the solution is made basic, which is why it is contained with lye.
NaBH4 + 4H2O -> NaB(OH)4 + 4H2
Decomposition in alcohols occurs at a much slower rate, but must
also be basic.
By all appearances this seems completely safe and not at all susceptible
to dangerous reaction, to the extent that the stabilized 35 % solution
must be treated with a catalyst to promote decomposition according to
the above cited equation. This does not preclude the stoichiometric
reduction of water in a nearly 50 % solution could be constrained as an
explosive reaction. NaBH4 + 2H2O -> 4H2 + NaBO2
This highlights an emerging problem as investigation and research to
identify and develop new fuels to substitute existing staple stockpiles
for distribution. Formulation of slurry or binary explosives employing
alkane fuels typically have required the addition of an oxidizer like AN.
As the balance of energy shifts to the fuel side of this equation as it
does with Sodium borohydride no additional components are needed.
[Edited on 16-9-2006 by franklyn]
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ethan_c
Hazard to Others
Posts: 104
Registered: 5-6-2006
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$20 for 25g is 'very high expense'? $46 for 100g?
Obviously, for fuel purposes it is far too pricey, but for experimentation, that sure ain't bad compared to a lot of specialized chemicals…
I also have a small amount available if anyone needs some…
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