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Projects: Projects for Investigator
Reference Number EP/D069076/1
Title Polymer-based hydrogen storage materials.
Status Completed
Energy Categories Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen storage) 100%;
Research Types Basic and strategic applied research 100%
Science and Technology Fields PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials) 100%
UKERC Cross Cutting Characterisation Not Cross-cutting 100%
Principal Investigator Prof D (David ) Book
No email address given
Metallurgy and Materials
University of Birmingham
Award Type Standard
Funding Source EPSRC
Start Date 04 December 2006
End Date 03 June 2010
Duration 42 months
Total Grant Value £243,656
Industrial Sectors Environment
Region West Midlands
Programme Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng, Physical Sciences, Process Environment and Sustainability
 
Investigators Principal Investigator Prof D (David ) Book , Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham (100.000%)
  Recognised Researcher Dr A Walton , University of Birmingham (0.000%)
Web Site
Objectives
Abstract This multidisciplinary research programme seeks to overcome one of the most urgent and difficult challenges in materials science: hydrogen storage. In the context of climate change and dwindling oil reserves, hydrogen could be the perfect zero-carbon fuel for a car as it only gives water as a by-product. Although the method of production of hydrogen has yet to be optimised for sustainability, the greatest obstacle to the development of hydrogen-powered cars is the lack of a system for safe, efficient and convenient on-board storage of hydrogen.The physisorption of hydrogen on the large and accessible surface of a microporous material offers the attractive possibility of safe hydrogen storage with an energy efficient release for consumption. However, physisorption relies on the very weak interactions between the microporous material and hydrogen molecules, therefore, the mass loadings are generally low. The International Energy Authority (IEA) has set a target of 5% reversiblemass loading for a realistic storage system. Thus, the challenge is set to make a microporous material of appropriate structure and chemical composition to help reach this ambitious target. Previously, polymers have not been investigated as materials for the storage of hydrogen because most polymers have enough conformational and rotational freedom to pack space efficiently and are therefore not microporous. However, our recently developed polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs) do possess significant microporosity and preliminary hydrogen sorption results are encouraging with significant quantities adsorbed. Most importantly, the chemical composition of PIMs can be tailored via synthetic chemistry. Therefore, the adventurous primary objective of this proposal is to prepare novel PIMs in a form that demonstrate hydrogen loadings equal to or in excess of the IEA 5% benchmark at moderate pressures and 77 K
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Added to Database 01/01/07