Metal Hydrides

SOLID-H hydrogen storage containers are filled with metal powders that absorb and release hydrogen (metal hydrides). You may already be using metal hydrides in your laptop computer (nickel-metal hydride batteries).

The most popular SOLID-H containers supply a few atmospheres of hydrogen gas pressure at room temperature. This is the safest method known for storing flammable hydrogen gas. If your hydrogen system develops a leak, SOLID-H immediately releases a small fraction of its stored hydrogen. The remainder will be released over a period of hours. All SOLID-H containers have a pressure relief valve for safety and a quick connect coupling for convenience in connecting to your system. Typical uses for SOLID-H include hydrogen supplies for gas chromatographs and fuel storage for hydrogen engines or fuel cells.

Metal hydrides are the most compact way to store hydrogen (more dense than liquid hydrogen). The internal volume of the CL-400A is less than 0.7 liters. 400 liters of hydrogen capacity is more than 500 times the size of the container!

Standard SOLID-H BL-series containers hold 18, 20, 30, 120, 220 or 740 standard liters of hydrogen gas. These are on the shelf or available on short delivery schedules. The lower cost SOLID-H CL-series containers, including CL-370 and CL-910, are based on aluminum industrial gas cylinders. These two containers hold 400 and 910 liters of hydrogen respectively. The aluminum cylinders used to make the CL-series are rated for very high pressures.  This makes them heavier than equivalent thin walled stainless steel BL-series containers of comparable capacity.

If you need a different capacity or special pressure-temperature specifications, just contact our fuel cell specialists and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

How do I use my SOLID-H Metal Hydride?

What is the Chemistry Behind Metal Hydrides in Fuel Cells?