The Hydrogen Challenge: Requirements for Future Materials

Abstract The use of hydrogen as a climate-friendly energy source is gaining strongly in importance, as it represents the only solution for short- to medium-term decarbonization for some industrial sectors, such as the steel and basic materials industries. Increasing innovation density and scaling of electrolysis is creating a broader range of uses and applications. So-called green hydrogen can be used as a raw material (basic industry), process gas (direct steel reduction), burner gas (heat treatment) or energy carrier (e.g. transport, energy storage). Depending on the application, hydrogen acts in a cryogenic liquid or gaseous state on the materials with which it comes into contact. This gives rise to various technical requirements that need to be controlled. For the application of hydrogen in large-scale and mass production, appropriate materials and processes will have to be developed that can be used economically and scalably. Considerable R&D activities will be required in the future, from the processing of the starting materials, their property adjustment by heat treatment and coating, to manufacturing processes and testing. This article highlights the current status for selected areas and discusses future material requirements and development potential.