Aluminium alloy hydrogen breakthrough

A research team has developed scalable aluminium alloys for the hydrogen economy.

The researchers mixed scandium with aluminium alloys to achieve 40% higher strength and five times higher resistance to hydrogen embrittlement – while maintaining the same ductility.

Aluminium alloys are known for their low weight and corrosion resistance but they suffer from embrittlement leading to cracking and failure when exposed to hydrogen.

Now, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials in Germany, together with partners from China and Japan, have developed an alloy design strategy that overcomes this dilemma.

Their approach enables exceptional strength and superior resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, paving the way for safer and more efficient aluminium components in the hydrogen economy.

At the heart of the breakthrough is a complex, size-sieved precipitation strategy in scandium-added aluminium-magnesium alloys.

Baptiste Gault, group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, said: “Our new design strategy solves this typical trade-off.”
“We no longer have to choose between high strength and hydrogen resistance – this alloy delivers both.”

The strong and hydrogen-resistant alloys have already been produced under almost industrial conditions.

The results were a 40% percent increase in strength and a five-fold improvement in hydrogen embrittlement resistance compared to scandium-free alloys.

The researchers tested their approach across various Al alloy systems, and also demonstrated scalability by using water-cooled copper mould casting and thermomechanical processing methods that align with current industrial standards.

This research lays the groundwork for new aluminium materials tailored for the demands of a hydrogen-powered future – safe, strong, and ready for industrial use.

This work was jointly carried out mainly by researchers from the Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, the Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China and at the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, Germany.

They have published their results in the journal Nature.

Source: www.aluminiumtoday.com