Ultra-light and heavily loaded

Green hydrogen is indispensable for the energy transition. However, it must be sustainably storable so that mobility and industry can use it. The material used for hydrogen storage is often a compound of various metals - they absorb hydrogen and release it again when needed. However, common metal compounds – or better alloys – have the disadvantage of the high material’s weight, which minimize the system hydrogen storage capacity.

Researchers at the Hereon Institute of Hydrogen Technology have now developed a new family of alloys of titanium and magnesium that can store over 30 percent more hydrogen at room temperature than some of the most commonly utilized materials for hydrogen storage purposes, e.g., TiFe (titanium–iron) alloys. In addition, it is ultra-light: at 2.83 grams per cubic centimetre, it is only barely one gram heavier than pure magnesium - the lightest utility material in the world.

The newly developed compound belongs to the so-called compositionally complex alloys (CCAs). The properties of these metal compounds can be adjusted depending on the composition of the material. The Hereon researchers used computational and experimental tools to investigate known CCAs, which are very light and can already store hydrogen. In doing so, they tested different compositions of the materials and thus managed to develop several ultra-light CCA alloys that have some of the largest hydrogen storage capacities described in literature. This initial breakthrough forms the basis for the development of further ultra-light compounds. They are the premise for future hydrogen storage facilities and thus a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply.