Hydrogen storage in Ti-based coatings and Ti6Al4V alloy

Abstract

Hydrogen has been regarded as an ideal energy carrier for future, it can be stored as a liquid in cryogenic tanks, a gas in high pressure cylinders and as solid in metal hydrides. Hydrogen storage in metal hydrides is of research interest because hydrides often have high energy density than gas or liquid hydrogen and are relatively safe. Ti and Ti alloys are promising hydrogen storage material because they have high affinity for hydrogen, light in weight and react reversibly with hydrogen. This work aims to investigate the hydrogen storage capacity of CP- Ti and Ti6Al4V alloy and Pd/Ti6Al4V alloy, where Pd was deposited on Ti6Al4V alloy. Samples were hydrogenated from room temperature to 650 °C at atmospheric pressure in the vacuum furnace under the 15%H/Ar atmosphere. Hydrogenation was carried out for a period of 3 hours for all samples. Sample composition and layer thickness were determined using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry. The microstructure and phase transformation were investigated using optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction technique. Hydrogen storage capacity was determined using elastic recoil detection analysis and gravimetric method. It was found that hydrogenation temperature has an effect on hydrogen absorption, microstructure and phase transformation. Maximum hydrogen concentration was obtained at hydrogenation temperatures of 550 °C for all materials with 45.57 at.% in CP-Ti, 34.77 at.% in Ti6Al4V alloy and 39 at.% H in Pd/Ti6Al4V coated system. In CP-Ti it was found that hydrogen absorption begins at 550 °C and decreases at hydrogenation temperature of 650 °C and that hydrogenation at both temperatures leads to formation of titanium hydrides and needlelike microstructure. At temperatures below 550 °C no hydrides were formed. For Ti6Al4V alloy ERDA results showed that no significant hydrogen absorption occurred at temperatures below 550 °C and at hydrogenation temperature of 650 °C, hydrogen absorption decreased drastically. The δ- titanium hydride was detected in the sample hydrogenated at 550 °C. Fine needle like microstructure was observed in the sample hydrogenated at 550 °C, and at higher temperature (650 °C ) coarse needles were formed. Pd coatings on Ti6Al4V alloy was found to increase the absorption of hydrogen, and allowing hydrogen to be absorbed at low temperatures.