Researchers develop solid-state hydrogen storage technology

• KIMS’ innovative magnesium-nickel-tin (Mg-20Ni-Sn) alloy tightly secures hydrogen within its metal matrix, mitigating explosion risks while drastically reducing manufacturing costs and energy demands.

The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS) research team, led by Dr. Young-Min Kim and Dr. Byeong-Chan Suh, has achieved a pioneering breakthrough in hydrogen storage technology by developing the world’s first solid-state hydrogen storage material that enables safe and cost-effective storage and transport without the need for high-pressure or cryogenic systems.

Their innovative magnesium-nickel-tin (Mg-20Ni-Sn) alloy tightly secures hydrogen within its metal matrix, mitigating explosion risks while drastically reducing manufacturing costs and energy demands.

Traditional hydrogen storage approaches rely heavily on high-pressure gas compression or cryogenic liquefaction, both of which pose significant safety hazards and suffer from inefficiencies such as high energy consumption and hydrogen losses.

Solid-state hydrogen storage offers a promising alternative by chemically bonding hydrogen to metals, allowing for stable long-term storage and safe transport.

However, prior solid-state materials faced challenges including limited storage capacity, slow hydrogen absorption and release rates, and high production costs, hampering widespread adoption.

Addressing the challenges

The newly developed Mg-20Ni-Sn alloy addresses these challenges by integrating high-density magnesium phases with magnesium-nickel phases known for rapid hydrogen kinetics, further enhanced by tin additions that refine the grain structure and boost reactivity.

This compositional synergy results in hydrogen storage performance surpassing that of conventional materials by more than threefold. Furthermore, the alloy’s excellent oxidation resistance permits storage and transport at atmospheric pressure, eliminating the need for specialised high-pressure vessels.

Manufacturing advancements underpin the technology’s practicality, as the research team replaced costly powder metallurgy techniques with a simplified casting process that produces bulk alloy subsequently machined into ultra-thin metal chips.

These chips facilitate rapid hydrogen diffusion and efficient reactions, enabling mass production at significantly reduced costs—approximately one-tenth that of traditional methods.

Complementing the material innovation, collaborations with industry and government partners yielded an induction-heated storage vessel and a real-time monitoring system. Induction heating expedites hydrogen absorption and release within compact storage units, dramatically cutting volume requirements relative to gas storage.

Dr. Kim emphasised the significance of this achievement, noting it as the first validated method to safely and economically transport hydrogen without specialised infrastructure.

The team envisions extending this technology’s application across diverse fields such as power generation, electric vehicles, and energy storage, particularly in conjunction with hydrogen derived from renewable and nuclear energy sources.