ALL4HYDRO II

Alloy development for Hydrogen-related applications; part II

Hydrogen as a green energy carrier can enable emerging technologies with reduced or zero carbon footprint. Most metallic materials, however, suffer from embrittlement when exposed to Hydrogen. ALL4HYDRO II aims at developing high-performance alloys that are durable in hydrogen gas environments.

Purpose

ALL4HYDRO II integrates theoretical modelling (computational thermodynamics, and empirical modelling in modern alloy design strategies and high-throughput screening algorithms) with experimental validation (alloy production, characterization, and testing under hydrogen environment). We will also check the implementation of the concept by testing a demonstrator component by the end of the project. The results obtained in this project will impact and improve the efficiency and safety of the H2 value chain, which enables reducing the associated costs and thus making this emerging energy source more competitive against existing solutions like fossil fuels.

Importance of the project

Hydrogen as an energy carrier has a great potential for enabling decarbonization and transition to fossil-free societies, targeting various United Nations’ sustainable development goals (SDGs); particularly SDG13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact.

Metallic materials are the best available type of materials for usage in Hydrogen value chain, from production to consumption. But when exposed to the Hydrogen environment, many conventional alloys suffer from hydrogen embrittlement (HE), leading to catastrophic failures; a known but not thoroughly understood failure mechanism!

This highlights the crucial importance of developing alloys that are resistant to HE.

Expected results

The aim is to have a direct impact on potential solutions as next-generation HE-resistant alloys for the Hydrogen-related applications, which will improve the efficiency of the Hydrogen-value chain and enable quicker implementation of Hydrogen, as a competitive fuel, in future transportation systems.

In the short term, the project results can be easily implemented in other transportation systems (e.g. cars, trains) or even other sectors such as powerplants or households. In the longer run, the results will guide and accelerate more efficient alloy design routines that can be used to develop various metallic materials with any desired properties for any desired application.

For more information

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