One of the most promising energy carriers for transport applications are hydrogen-based energy carriers. NaBH₄ is a hydrogen energy carrier and produces hydrogen bubbles when it is dissolved in water. The formation of hydrogen bubbles hinders experimental measurements of the thermodynamic and transport properties of aqueous NaBH₄ solutions at elevated temperatures. Accurate knowledge of these properties is essential for the NaBH₄ hydrolysis reactor modeling and design. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations provide the option to study the thermodynamic and transport properties of NaBH₄ aqueous solutions without hindering hydrogen bubble formation. In this work, a new force field is developed for BH₄^-, namely, the Delft force field of BH₄^- (DFF/BH₄^-), which, combined with additional force fields, can accurately describe experimental densities and viscosities of 0 to 5 m (mol salt/kg water) NaBH₄, 0 to 3 m NaB(OH)₄, and 1 m NaOH aqueous solutions at 295 K within 1.8% and 10.8% maximum deviation, respectively. Empirical fitting correlations are created for densities, viscosities, and self-diffusivities obtained from the MD simulations of 0 to 5 m NaBH₄, 0 to 5 m NaB(OH)₄, and 0 to 1 m NaOH aqueous solutions at 295-363 K for NaBH₄ hydrolysis reactor modeling and design purposes.

Sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) has a high hydrogen (H₂ ) gravimetric capacity of 10.7 wt %. NaBH₄ releases H₂ through a hydrolysis reaction in which aqueous NaB(OH)₄ is formed as a byproduct. NaB(OH)₄ strongly influences the thermophysical properties of aqueous solutions (i.e., densities, viscosities, and electrical conductivities) and the hydrolysis reaction kinetics and conversion of NaBH₄. Here, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to compute viscosities, electrical conductivities, and self-diffusivities of H₂ , Na⁺, and B(OH)₄^- for a temperature and concentration range of 298-353 K and 0-5 mol NaB(OH)₄/kg water, respectively. Continuous fractional component Monte Carlo (CFCMC) simulations are used to compute the solubilities of H₂ and activities of water in aqueous NaB(OH)₄ solutions for the same temperature and concentration range. A new force field is developed (Delft force field of B(OH)₄^-: DFF/B(OH)₄^-) in which B(OH)₄^- is modeled as a tetrahedral structure with a scaled charge of −0.85. The OH group in B(OH)₄^- is modeled as a single interaction site. This force field is based on TIP4P/2005 water and the Madrid-2019 Na⁺ force field. The MD simulations can accurately capture the densities and viscosities within 2.5% deviation from available experimental data at 298 K up to a concentration of 5 mol NaB(OH)₄/kg water. The computed electrical conductivities deviate by ca. 10% from experimental data at 298 K for the same concentration range. Based on the molecular simulations results, engineering equations are developed for shear viscosities, self-diffusivities of H₂, Na⁺, and B(OH)₄^-, and solubilities of H₂, which can be used to design and model NaBH₄ hydrolysis reactors.