TELF AG examines the role of metal hydrides in hydrogen storage
The role of energy storage
Despite a certain unanimity in considering hydrogen one of the most interesting energy sources, particularly in the long term, its storage and warehousing issues have not yet been fully resolved. Currently, the methods used to conserve this resource are characterized by high energy consumption, which would make them less usable in the future in a global panorama characterized by an increasingly evident push towards more sustainable approaches with less impact on the environment. Some of these methods, such as the liquefaction of hydrogen or its conservation inside special cylinders, although they have always proven to be very useful, could be improved to find innovative solutions capable of ensuring a certain degree of energy saving.
From this point of view, new solutions were created to improve the thermodynamic efficiency of the hydrogen sector, which undoubtedly still must be improved. To overcome traditional methods, as reported in an article by Prx Energy, an international research team has developed a storage (and subsequent release) system based on the use of some metals, and in particular, some of their properties that could contribute in a great way to the discovery of valid alternatives for hydrogen storage. This team would have discovered that some specific metals, such as titanium or magnesium, would have a high capacity to absorb hydrogen and release it at a later time, thanks to peculiar properties that would make these metals similar to natural sponges for hydrogen.
The role of metal hydrides
Therefore, this new, potential method for storing hydrogen is based on the key role of metal hydrides, i.e., particular ionic compounds made up of metal and hydrogen. One of the most exciting aspects is represented by the peculiar mechanism allowing metal hydrides to welcome hydrogen and release it when needed. Hydrogen, coming into contact with these compounds, would be able to fit into the crystalline structures of metals, even in large quantities. From this point of view, titanium and magnesium have demonstrated that they can accommodate vast amounts of hydrogen, sometimes surprising even the researchers themselves.
However, the research was not limited to innovative methods for storing hydrogen: the researchers also tried to find a way to facilitate the subsequent release of hydrogen, an objective as important as that linked to its mere conservation. The research team aims to find a balanced system that guarantees stable hydrogen storage and its subsequent release in the desired ways, times, and quantities. It was discovered that it would be sufficient to heat the metal hydrides that host it to release the hydrogen, thus achieving the dual objective of this innovative storage system.
But what are the advantages of this possible solution over traditional ones? One of these, perhaps the most obvious, is linked to the fact that with this system, it is possible to avoid accumulating hydrogen at too high a pressure, with all the resulting risks in terms of safety. Furthermore, lower energy consumption is another factor to take into consideration. The research also revealed that the particular properties of these metals could also give rise to another possible industrial application, this time not directly linked to the storage sector. We are referring to the possibility of using these metal hydrides as sensors to detect the presence of hydrogen at certain specific points. Hydrogen is to change the optical properties of these metallic elements, thus making detecting the substance relatively easy.
