Hydrogen and the deformation of alloys

R&D Focus Areas:
Hydrogen embrittlement

Lead Organisation:
The University of Sydney

Partners:
The University of New South Wales (UNSW)

Status:
Active

Start date:
January 2025

Completion date:
December 2027

Key contacts:
University of Sydney:
Professor Julie Carney: julie.cairney@sydney.edu.au
Dr Ranming Niu: ranming.niu@sydney.edu.au

UNSW:
Associate Professor Patrick Burr:  p.burr@unsw.edu.au

Funding:
AUD$1,020,143 – Australian Research Council (ARC)

Project total cost:
AUD$1,343,921 – including AUD$323,778 in-kind contribution

Project summary description:
A major roadblock to hydrogen industry development is that hydrogen can make metallic infrastructure brittle and potentially fail. This project will break this problem down by determining the individual responses of the different micro-scale components of alloys when deformed in the presence of hydrogen. This can allow prediction of how these components will influence the overall alloy behaviour, allowing the design of future alloys with favourable structures. This is to be achieved by utilising new advanced microscopy techniques and a modern approach to modelling hydrogen behaviour that combines density functional theory and machine learning. This comprehensive study will result in new knowledge and new analysis methods that will be useful for researchers designing new durable metal alloys that are less susceptible to embrittlement and can be used for the safe generation, storage, and transportation of hydrogen.

Related publications and key links:
Grant – Grants Data Portal

Higher degree studies supported:
Two 2 PhD students and two Post doctoral researchers are supported.

 

January 2025