Composite hydrogen storage material and methods related thereto

1. A composite hydrogen storage material comprising:

active material particles, capable of occluding and desorbing hydrogen; and

a thermoplastic binder;

wherein the binder elastically immobilizes the active material particles sufficient to maintain relative spatial relationships between the active material particles before, during and after any occluding and desorbing of hydrogen; and

wherein the composite hydrogen storage material is capable of withstanding a force produced by a particle strain during occlusion and desorption of hydrogen by the active material particles, sufficient to provide a load bearing member independently or within a storage vessel.

2. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the active material particles occlude hydrogen by physisorption, chemisorption or a combination thereof.

3. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the active material particles comprises a metal hydride.

4. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 wherein the active material particles comprise type AB, AB 2 , A 2 B, AB 5 , BCC metal hydrides or combinations thereof.

5. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the active material particles comprises LaNi 5 , FeTi, or MmNi 5 , wherein Mm refers to a mixture of lanthanides.

6. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the active material particles comprise silicas, aluminas, zeolites, graphite, activated carbons, nano-structured carbons, micro-ceramics, nano-ceramics, boron nitride nanotubes, palladium-containing materials or combinations thereof.

7. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic binder is selected from the group of polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, hexafluoropropylene vinylidene fluoride copolymer, cross-linked copolymers and combinations thereof.

8. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additives.

9. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , further comprising a fire retardant.

10. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , further comprising a lubricant.

11. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the composite material is formed into a prismatic shape, a pellet, a wafer, a disc, a rod or combinations thereof.

12. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the binder comprises less than about 10% by weight of the material.

13. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a porosity of about 5% to about 40%.

14. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the material comprises a porosity of about 28%.

15. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the active material particles comprises an average particle size of up to about 20 microns.

16. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , wherein the binder is sintered below the sintering temperature of the active material.

17. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , further comprising a thermally conductive additive.

18. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 17 , wherein the thermally conductive additive comprises aluminum, graphite flakes, graphite fibers, or a combination thereof.

19. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , further comprising a structural additive.

20. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 19 , wherein the structural additive is selected from the group of carbon flakes, carbon nanotubes, fibers of fiberglass, carbon fibers, carbon nanofibers and combinations thereof.

21. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 1 , further comprising an adsorbent additive.

22. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 21 , wherein the adsorbent additive is capable of adsorbing materials that can interfere with the hydrogen storing function of the active material particles.

23. The composite hydrogen storage material of claim 21 , wherein the adsorbent comprises activated carbon.

24. A composite hydrogen storage material comprising:

active material particles, capable of occluding and desorbing hydrogen;

a thermoplastic binder; and

one or more additives;

wherein the binder elastically immobilizes the active material particles and the one or more additives sufficient to maintain relative spatial relationships between the active material particles and one or more additives before, during and after any occluding and desorbing of hydrogen; and

wherein the composite hydrogen storage material is capable of withstanding a force produced by a particle strain during occlusion and desorption of hydrogen by the active material particles, sufficient to provide a load bearing member independently or within a storage vessel.

25. A composite hydrogen storage material comprising:

active material particles, capable of occluding and desorbing hydrogen; and

a thermoplastic binder, the binder elastically immobilizing the active material particles sufficient to maintain relative spatial relationships between the active material particles;

wherein the composite hydrogen storage material comprises a porosity from about 0.1% to about 50%, and wherein the active material particles comprise a packing density that is at least about 40% of the composite hydrogen storage material; and

wherein the composite hydrogen storage material is capable of withstanding a force produced by a particle strain during occlusion and desorption of hydrogen by the active material particles, sufficient to provide a load bearing member independently or within a storage vessel.

26. A hydrogen storage system comprising:

(A) a storage vessel;

(B) a composite hydrogen storage material disposed in the storage vessel, wherein the composite hydrogen storage material comprises:

active material particles, capable of occluding and desorbing hydrogen; and

a thermoplastic binder;

wherein the binder elastically immobilizes the active material particles sufficient to maintain relative spatial relationships between the active material particles before, during and after any occluding and desorbing of hydrogen; and

wherein the composite hydrogen storage material is capable of withstanding a force produced by a particle strain during occlusion and desorption of hydrogen by the active material particles, sufficient to provide a load bearing member independently or within a storage vessel;

(C) at least one port for communicating with an external device.

27. The hydrogen storage system of claim 26 , wherein the external device is a fuel cell system, a hydrogen source, a heat pump, a hydrogen compressor, a valve or a pressure regulator.