Materials for Hydrogen and Energy Applications

In renewable energies materials form the basis of every technology. Therefore, the question of structure-property relationships under the conditions to which these materials are exposed also arises here. At the chair for general material properties, research is conducted primarily on materials used in energy storage. This includes the investigation of hydrogen resistant materials with pressurized hydrogen up to 1000 bar and 300°C including cross-scale hydrogen analysis, as well as research on battery materials. For this purpose, the extensive equipment of the chair is used, as well as new facilities adapted to the material and environmental conditions.

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Heinz Werner Höppel

Group Leader Light Metals & Mechanical Testing and Nanostructured Materials, Deputy Head of Institute

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Chair of General Materials Properties

Phone number: +49 9131 85-27503
Email: hwe.hoeppel@fau.de

Prof. Dr. Peter Felfer

Group Leader Atom Probe Tomography & 3D-Nanoanalytics

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Chair of General Materials Properties

Phone number: +49 9131 85-27505
Email: peter.felfer@fau.de

Jan-Oliver Hücking, M. Sc.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Chair of General Materials Properties

Phone number: +49 9131 85-27481
Email: jan-oliver.h.huecking@fau.de

Johannes Seltsam, M. Sc.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Chair of General Materials Properties

Phone number: +49 9131 85-27475
Email: johannes.seltsam@fau.de

Oliver Nagel, M. Sc.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Chair of General Materials Properties

Phone number: +49 9131 85-27474
Email: oliver.nagel@fau.de

Niklas Zimmermann, M. Sc.

Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Chair of General Materials Properties

Phone number: +49 9131 85-25449
Email: niklas.zimmermann@fau.de

Chemical energy carriers are indispensable for achieving decarbonization of the economy. Hydrogen is particularly suitable here due to its high gravimetric energy density. However, the mechanical properties of many materials are negatively affected by hydrogen. Especially in the strength range above 1000 MPa, a significant loss of strength is possible for steels. This strength range, however, is particularly relevant for mobile and stationary energy systems with compressed hydrogen or also corrosion-induced hydrogen.
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Electrochemical energy storage systems are of the utmost importance to ensure the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources. Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) in particular are very well suited for this application due to their high energy density and safety, low costs, long lifetime and good fast-charging properties and are already widely used in electric cars, laptops and mobile phones.
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With the European Green Deal, the Commission of the European Union (EU) has set itself the ambitious task of combining the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions with the sustainable conversion of European industry to a climate-neutral economy. Within this framework, hydrogen has been highlighted as essential to solving the problems and developing Europe’s energy systems. A particular problem is the failure of components due to hydrogen effects, which can occur in various industrial systems such as high-pressure hydrogen storage systems, pipelines, fuel cells, as well as in aircraft components made of high-strength superalloys.
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