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Lithium Borohydride

  1. Dec 1, 2008 #1
    In general (meaning nothing specific), how is it made and how much energy (in joules) input is necessary to make it? I'm not planning on making any or anything like that, but I am curious about the general process and whether or not we can get more energy from using it than what goes into making it.

    Or if someone could at least answer the second part of the question that would be good enough. Thanks.
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2008
  2. jcsd
  3. Dec 1, 2008 #2
    Um, this wasn't intended to be a homework question, but if you (the admins) feel it should be here then ok.....I got curious about this after browsing through wikipedia, and I noticed it has a high energy density. I would just like to know if the energy that goes into making it is less than what comes out of it (via combustion).

    This was part of a discussion about using it as a potential fuel source, so the questions were in that context.
    Last edited: Dec 1, 2008
  4. Dec 2, 2008 #3


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    Staff: Mentor

    Google lithium borohydride synthesis, lithium borohydride msds, lithium borohydride properties and so on.

    I think diborane was considered as a rocket fuel at some point, and to some extent that's a related compound.

    Your main question is easily answered by thermodynamics. There are no processes that will be able to yield more energy than you put in.
  5. Dec 2, 2008 #4
    Ok, so factoring in the inefficiencies of the synthesis process, about how much energy needs to be put into the synthesis process? I have no idea how to find this out because I'm not studying this stuff, I was just asking out of curiosity.

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