PN II / PROGRAMME 4 - "PartnerSHIPS IN PRIORITY DOMAINS"
Thematic Area: 7 - Inovative materials, processes and products
Project Title:
NOVEL NANOSTRUCTURED METAL DIBORIDES AND HIDRIDES FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE
Acronym: HISTOC
Contract No.: 72195 / 2008
Project Code: 3241
Project duration: 36 month
Start date: 1/10/2008
End date: 1/10/2011
Financial assistance from the budget: 2,000,000.00 RON
Coordinator: CS II, Dr. Nicoleta LUPU (nicole@phys-iasi.ro)
PARTNERS
National Institute of Research and Development for Technical Physics, Iaşi (INCDFT)
National Institute of Research and Development for Isotopic and Cryogenic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Vâlcea (ICSI)
Piteşti University, Centre for Advanced Materials (UPIT)
ProJect SUMMARY
The project addresses a complex, multidisciplinary subject situated at the interface between physics, materials science, electrochemistry, and energetics with the aim of developing novel hydrogen storage materials based on metal diboride and hydride nanostructures (nanopowders, nanowires, nanotubes and thin films) with an H2 content >5.5 wt% at low pressures (1-10 atm) and temperatures (25-100C) and the design and creation of a storage system (HSS) with practical hydrogen charging/discharging parameters (< 400K) suitable for applications, mainly automotive ones. The concept of our project is based on recent theoretical studies on nanostructured materials (nanotubes) (Nano Lett. 7(3) (2007) 663) indicating that hydrogen kinetics and storage capacity can be improved to a significant degree in molecular storage materials. For example, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or organic molecules decorated with metal nanoparticles (Phys. Rev. Lett. 94 (2005) 175501; J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127 (2005) 14582) can readily absorb large quantities of hydrogen at reduced loading pressures and temperatures. Specifically this project will focus on 2 new classes of materials, namely (1) metal diborides (MB2) (M = Ti, Zn, Al, Mg, etc.) and (2) complex metal hydrades (MgH2/LiBH4 with additions of transition metals elements and their alloys or oxides). We will prepare samples in the form of nanopowders, nanowires, nanotubes, their combination, and hydrogenated nanostructured thin films. These materials will be characterized structurally and microstructurally, the amount of absorbed hydrogen will be evaluated as a function of the preparation conditions and samples dimensions, and the kinetic processes which govern the absorbtion/desorption of hydrogen will be studied in detail. We will design and produce an experimental model device for hydrogen storage (hydrogen storage system = HSS), to be later used in the automotive industry. Another important objective is an application related one, i.e. to perform tests on the experimental model device using experimental conditions identical with the real ones from the automotive industry. Using the feed-back obtained during testing the HSS, we will further optimize the working parameters of the device.