Copper materials demonstrate hydrogen compatibility

The Kupferverband (German Copper Association) and the Institute for Materials – Department of Materials Testing at Ruhr University Bochum have teamed up to test ten representative copper materials for their compatibility with hydrogen in an initial series of tests. The results were positive, as none of the materials investigated indicated that hydrogen had a negative influence or caused embrittlement.

To achieve the goal of net zero by 2045, the global energy supply will need to undergo a momentous upheaval. By that date, fossil fuels will have to be replaced by green energy sources, of which hydrogen is a key example.
The compatibility of materials coming into contact with hydrogen is key, since many material classes (e.g. higher-strength steels, aluminium, titanium) can absorb hydrogen and sustain damage – for example, in the form of embrittlement. As a result, knowledge of a given material’s compatibility when in contact with hydrogen is crucial for designers and developers.
In the body of applicable standards, there is no fundamental restriction on using copper materials in contact with hydrogen (e.g. ASME B31.12-2011 and EIGA IGC Doc 121/14). However, the pool of relevant data available to date has been too poor to harness the full potential of copper materials with hydrogen. For this reason, the Kupferverband has partnered with the Institute for Materials at Ruhr University Bochum to carry out a comprehensive battery of testing in order to examine the influence of hydrogen on various copper alloys. The aim of this study was to establish how hydrogen affects copper materials’ ductility and strength. The researchers report that the results are extremely positive. The copper materials investigated subsequently absorb only tiny amounts of hydrogen and show no measurable impairment in their mechanical characteristics. This makes them the perfect candidates for applications in which hydrogen plays a role, they conclude.
The most important findings and results from this study are summarised in the Copper Materials and Hydrogen fact sheet.
Source: Kupferverband (German Copper Association)