Engineering properties characterization of sodium alanate was performed to gain an understanding of how complex hydrides behave within a storage system. Thermal properties were measured using the thermal probe method and analyzed using analytical and numerical methods. The thermal conductivity of sodium alanate was found to vary >90% depending on material phase and gas pressures ranging from 1 to 100 atm. Mechanical properties, specifically pressure exerted on a vessel wall by volumetric expansion, were investigated by measuring the strain of a stainless steel membrane. The expansion pressure was characterized as a function of initial packing density, varying from 0.7 to 1.2 g/cc. Design recommendations for initial packing density (and thus, energy storage density) result from this testing. The DC electrical resistance was also measured as a function of phase. Doped and cycled sodium alanate was found to be a moderate electrical conductor due to free aluminum.