Behavior of materials at extreme temperatures relevant to hydrogen energy

In 2010, the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I²CNER) was established after nearly five years of research collaboration between Kyushu University in Japan and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. I²CNER’s purpose is to conduct fundamental research to advance science and technology, which will contribute to a sustainable, environmentally friendly society. The main Institute at Kyushu and the Satellite at Illinois are both directed by MechSE professor Petros Sofronis, whose own research focuses on the behavior of materials in adverse chemo-mechanical environments. In I²CNER, he applies this research by exploring ideal materials for hydrogen transport in a hydrogen economy.  

Hydrogen is an ideal and sustainable energy carrier for a hydrogen-powered society. When used in a fuel cell to produce electricity, the by-product is water vapor. However, for the realization of the hydrogen economy, many pressing issues still exist, such as how to produce, store, transport, and dispense hydrogen safely. Sofronis, along with the entire I²CNER research team, is conducting fundamental research to address these logistical questions. For example, since common materials are rapidly degraded and cracked when exposed to hydrogen, I²CNER’s Hydrogen Materials Compatibility research team aims to improve the structure and properties of existing materials or come up with new material microstructures to find those that are resistant enough to store or transport hydrogen long-term. 

“We try to develop tough materials, as tough as we can make them, better than the materials we have today,” Sofronis said. “We start by focusing on materials that we know. We have to first understand the existing materials such as austenitic and ferritic steels, and we find out which ones are the best candidates that can operate safely and reliably. And then we try to understand how and why the best candidates are degraded by hydrogen. Once we understand that, we try to modify these materials. At a later stage, since we will know how these materials respond and how they are degraded by hydrogen, we can come up with new alloys.”

I²CNER is now in its third year of operation and is progressing rapidly toward becoming what Sofronis calls a “world-class institute.” Recently, I²CNER established a thematic research cluster on energy analysis in order to identify the roadblocks to achieving a carbon-neutral energy society, which exist due to the constraints of both primary energy availability and resources, by measuring CO₂ emissions, efficiency, and cost. Once the roadblocks have been identified, the primary goal of this research group is to establish a roadmap toward a sustainable and low-carbon society over mid- and long-term scenarios by continuously assessing the relevance of the Institute’s research activities. This roadmap, when I²CNER achieves its vision, is made up of technologically feasible pathways to a carbon-neutral society, which are identified through quantitative analysis. Within this roadmap, there may be multiple pathways that will each require various research and development (R&D) strategies. Further, each of these R&D strategies may involve different technologies to be developed. However, I²CNER will focus on the central issues of important technology targets. 

“By having carried out this analysis, we usually identify the roadblocks in the research that need to be addressed for a specific pathway in order to make it more efficient, perhaps to the point that it can be adopted relative to another pathway,” Sofronis said. “In other words, this helps set milestones and targets for our research. Of course, although this research is focused on basic science, it is also mission-driven. It is not just curiosity—it is research that serves the taxpayer. That’s our purpose.”