This material withstands extreme heat, resists corrosion, and enhances performance.
- For combustion engines to use 100 percent hydrogen, they need components that can withstand high temperatures and corrosive environments.
- Scientists from the University of Alberta discovered a new complex concentrated alloy, made from aluminum and nickel, that’s up to the task.
- These material breakthroughs will help make hydrogen power, whether in fuel cell vehicles or power plants, go mainstream.
Our warming world is in desperate need of energy sources that don’t spew greenhouse gas emissions, and one of the big contenders looking to step into that clean-energy role is hydrogen power. When used to power fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs), the resulting byproduct is essentially just water vapor and warm air. But perhaps even more crucially, companies around the world are also racing to create 100 percent hydrogen power plants, since most commercial plants currently burn a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas or diesel.
While hydrogen seems like a no-brainer energy source, it does come with some immense challenges, especially that it burns at high temperatures (around 600 to 1500 degrees Celsius) compared to other fuels. This increased temperature means components of any type of hydrogen combustion engine need to withstand the rigors of such a high-heat environment as well as remain resistant to corrosion due to steam.
Now, scientists at the University of Alberta think they may have found the perfect answer: a super alloy of aluminum and nickel that could be the key ingredient for hydrogen engines of the future.
The research team detailed the attributes of this complex concentrated alloy (CCA), identified as AlCrTiVNi5, in a new paper published earlier this month in the journal Materials Today.
SOURCE: Popular Mechanics
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