Carbon sequestration and production of hydrogen and hydride

A process to synthesize metal hydride comprising:

• a) reacting a metal hydroxide selected from sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide with a carbon reaction group at about 400K to 1100K in the presence of a silicon dioxide catalyst to obtain hydrogen and a carbonate compound,
• wherein the carbonate compound is sodium carbonate when sodium hydroxide is used and wherein the carbonate compound is potassium carbonate when potassium hydroxide is used,
• wherein the carbon reaction group is selected from the group consisting of:
• carbon monoxide;
• carbon dioxide and elemental carbon;
• and elemental carbon and water;
• b) recycling the carbonate compound of the hydrogen production reaction by reacting the carbonate compound with elemental carbon to produce sodium and carbon monoxide where the carbonate compound is sodium carbonate, and to produce potassium and carbon monoxide where the carbonate compound is potassium carbonate;
• c) reacting said hydrogen with a hydride reaction group to obtain a metal hydride, wherein said hydride reaction group is selected from the group consisting of:
• magnesium metal powder to produce magnesium hydride;
• magnesium metal powder and water to produce magnesium hydride;
• sodium metaborate and magnesium metal powder to produce sodium borohydride;
• sodium metaborate, water, and magnesium metal powder to produce sodium borohydride;
• lithium metaborate, water, and magnesium metal powder to produce lithium borohydride;
• and
• lithium metaborate and magnesium metal powder to produce lithium borohydride,
• wherein the reaction temperature in Step 1c for reactions involving magnesium metal powder to produce magnesium hydride is about 400K, wherein the reaction temperature in Step 1c for reactions involving sodium metaborate ranges from about 300K to 800K, and wherein the reaction temperature in Step 1c for reactions involving lithium metaborate ranges from about 300K to 600K.