Industrial Applications of Metal Hydrides for Hydrogen Extraction, Storage and Compression

Introducing hydrogen as universal environment-friendly energy carrier demands efficient technologies allowing to extract it from industrial streams (products of coal gasification, process gases of refineries, etc.), to store it by a compact and safe way, and, finally, to deliver H2 to a consumer at high pressure. Metal hydride (MH) technology is a promising solution. However, its implementation requires new MH materials whose performances are not deteriorated in contaminated H2. In addition, novel enginee ring solutions incorporating the materials into H extraction-purification-storage-compression system are in great demand. This proposal is focused on the detailed study of advanced "low-temperature" H storage alloys (RE-containing AB5; and Ti-containing AB and AB2) and multiphase compositions on their basis. Nanotechnological routes, including reactive mechanical alloying and forming the MH-carbon nanocomposites will be worked-out. Special attention will be paid to surface modification of the materials i ncluding deposition of thin metal films onto their particles, dosed surface oxidation and/or creation of oxide-modified hydride forming constituent phases. As a result, the MH materials characterised by high "poisoning" resistance, easy activation and fas t H sorption / desorption kinetics will be developed. Furthermore, the experimental prototype of combined MH system for H2 extraction/purification, storage and compression will be developed, including H2 extraction/purification subsystem, H storage unit, as well as efficient MH H2 compressor. The work will combine the best efforts of the R&D communities in MH technologies including universities and academic institutions (IFE and NTNU in Norway; UWC in South Africa) and important industrial partners inclu ding Eskom (SA). 2 PhD students from SA will be educated