A new route to metal hydrides

Aqueous borohydride is shown to be an effective reagent for hydriding metals and intermetallics. It is the hydriding equivalent of 20-30 atm of H[sub 2]. The reaction is a convenient way to screen materials for hydride formation and possible utility in applications such as nickel-metal hydride batteries. The reaction is also a convenient alternative to decrepitation for the production of free flowing powders. 16 refs., 1 fig., 1 tab.