More of this Feature • Part 1: Duffy • Part 2: Duffy • SALT? • Duffy Specs • Duffy Acceleration Curve • Duffy Photo Gallery
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The source of the sodium borohydride that powered our fuel-cell test boat was borax, a substance commonly found in both the Earth’s crust and oceans. Presently, fossil fuel-powered manufacturing facilities create sodium borohydride from raw borax in small batches for bleaching paper in industrial papermaking operations—using the stuff to power fuel cells is a radically new application. Hence, production is currently low, and the price is high. Reportedly, the mixture of sodium borohydride and water (see photo above) we filled our Herreshoff’s 45-gallon fuel tank with cost approximately $50 per gallon—way more than we pay for gasoline at the pumps these days. However, Millennium Cell and U.S. Borax are working on clean, large-scale production methods they hope will significantly lower the price of sodium borohydride and replace fossil-fuel manufacturing methods with renewable energy resources like solar and hydropower.             —B.P.

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