Researchers at the Hereon Institute have developed a new alloy of titanium and magnesium that can store more hydrogen than other materials previously used for this purpose. This alloy is almost as light as pure magnesium, which is considered the lightest material so far.
A combination of different metals often serves as a material for hydrogen storage. They absorb hydrogen and release it again when needed. Common metal alloys have a high weight. This reduces the hydrogen storage capacity of the system.
Researchers at the Hereon Institute for Hydrogen Technology have now developed a new family of alloys made from titanium and magnesium. It stores over 30 % more hydrogen at room temperature than some of the materials most commonly used for hydrogen storage purposes, such as titanium-iron alloys.
In addition, the newly developed alloy is very light: at 2.83 gr per cubic centimetre, it is barely one gram heavier than pure magnesium - the lightest useful material in the world.
Properties of the new alloy
The newly developed compound belongs to the so-called "compositionally complex alloys" - CCAs for short. The properties of these metal compounds can be adjusted depending on the composition of the material.
The Hereon researchers have used computer simulations and experimental data to investigate known CCAs that are very light and can already store hydrogen. In the process, they tested different compositions of the materials. This enabled them to develop several ultra-light CCA alloys.
According to their own statements, they have some of the largest hydrogen storage capacities described in the literature. This initial breakthrough is intended to form the basis for the development of further ultra-light compounds. They are said to be the prerequisite for future hydrogen storage and thus a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply.
Source: Hereon/2023
