DoE Funding Opportunity - Experimental Studies for the Development of Functional Materials for Hydrogen-Based Energy Systems

Functional, as distinguished from structural, materials are so designated because of properties they possess that enable a process function to be performed, for example, membranes for gas separation and materials for hydrogen storage. Gas separation may be effected through several different types of mechanisms including solution-diffusion, molecular transport, and ionic transport. Gas separation has been identified as being critical for FutureGen technologies such as coal gasification and fuel cells, and includes hydrogen separation from reformed natural gas and synthesis gas from coal, and carbon dioxide separation from gas production and from the products of combustion of hydrocarbon fuels. Significant opportunities to improve upon current separation techniques can result from the use of advanced membrane technologies in hydrogen production from coal. Reductions in cost, improved efficiency, and simplified systems are potentially possible with advancements in hydrogen membrane separation technologies. Research needs to be performed on novel membrane materials and manufacturing techniques that have high flux rates, structural strength, low cost, are defect-free and can operate in conditions after the gas clean-up, or at the gasifier exhaust, pre-clean-up. Another critical need is the development of materials for hydrogen storage as a necessary precursor to the eventual implementation of the hydrogen economy. For practical transportation applications, the hydrogen storage material must function in the temperature range of 0-100°C and pressure range of 1-10 bar. The materials currently being investigated for hydrogen storage includes: metal organic frameworks; alloys and intermetallics; sodium and lithium alanates; nanocubes; carbon nanotubes; and other emerging materials. Research is needed to develop materials that provide high hydrogen storage density and stability at commercially relevant conditions of temperature and pressure. These materials should have the potential for achieving DOE’s long-term hydrogen storage goals of 3 kWh/kg (9 wt%) at a cost of $2/kWh. The materials to be investigated must be amenable to realistic processing conditions and to the likelihood of large-scale manufacturing. Read more