HYDROGEN-GENERATING AGENT, METHOD FOR PRODUCTION THEREOF, AND HYDROGEN GENERATION APPARATUS

摘要

A hydrogen-generating agent which can generate hydrogen upon the reaction with water is produced by melt-embedding a metal hydride compound (e.g., sodium borohydride) and a compound capable of catalyzing a hydrolysis (e.g., cobalt chloride) in polyethylene glycol (PEG). In the hydrogen-generating agent, the surfaces of particles of the metal hydride compound and the catalyst are entirely covered with PEG. Therefore, the hydrogen-generating agent is easy to handle. The rate of generation of hydrogen from the hydrogen-generating agent can be controlled by properly selecting the type or amount of the catalyst to be melt-embedded in PEG. A compact hydrogen generation apparatus can be designed, which comprises a container including the hydrogen-generating agent and a container including water.