Developer Claims Breakthrough in Hydrogen Storage

A Japanese research company says the liquid it is developing can store hydrogen at room temperature at 500 times the concentration of gaseous hydrogen, The Nikkei reports.

Yokohama-based Chiyoda Corp. says its process enables shippers to transport hydrogen far more cheaply and efficiently that traditional methods that compress the gas or liquefy it at -200 C (-328 F).

Chiyoda's system reacts hydrogen and toluene to form methylcyclohexane, a clear liquid. It later extracts the liquid's hydrogen content using a platinum catalyst made of particles about 1 nanometer across.

The company plans to build a plant to liquefy hydrogen, transport the material in tankers and extract the hydrogen to supply households and factories.

Chiyoda figures that it can transport its liquid in tankers that cost about 20% as much as those required to move cryogenically liquefied hydrogen.