Patent ID: 8021536

Claim:
A method for generating a hydride gas of metal M 1 in an electrochemical cell comprising a cathode comprising metal M 1 ; a sacrificial anode comprising metal M 2 ; an initial concentration of aqueous electrolyte solution comprising a metal hydroxide, M 3 OH; wherein the sacrificial metal anode electrochemically oxidizes in the presence of the aqueous electrolyte solution to form a metal salt, and the hydride gas of metal M 1 is formed by reducing the metal M 1 of the cathode, the method comprising the steps of: determining solubility profile curves of the metal salt as the M 3 OH is consumed and the metal oxide is formed by the oxidation reaction at various concentrations of M 3 OH; determining a maximum concentration of M 3 OH using the solubility profile curves; said determined maximum concentration of M 3 OH does not yield a concentration of metal salt that precipitates out of the electrolyte solution; and choosing a concentration of M 3 OH that is in the range of at and within 5% less than the said determined maximum concentration of M 3 OH to be an initial concentration of M 3 OH.