Progress in hydrogen treatment of materials

Abstract

A successful entry into the life of an ecologically clean hydrogen economy and an expected transition to hydrogen civilization in the future require the creation of new hydrogen-stable structural materials, new advanced functional ones, and new special technologies of their production and treatment. In response to these modern day requirements, world-renowned scientists and experts from 10 countries have contributed to this book — the first book reviewing the origin and development of the novel field of Materials Science and Engineering now referred to as ‘Hydrogen Treatment of Materials’ (HTM). The book generalizes the knowledge related to the HTM-theory and the HTM-technology. The structures and properties of material–hydrogen (MH) systems, their surface and subsurface layers, thin films and multilayers are considered. A diffusive–cooperative synergetic nature of MH-systems is generalized, their thermodynamic and kinetic peculiarities are analysed, and related phenomena are described. For the first time, there are systematically considered hydrogen-induced phase transformations: their nature, classification, mechanisms, kinetics, morphology, influence on structure and properties and use in the HTM. The present day knowledge is summarized as it relates to the HTM-technologies for deformed, cast and synthesized materials, such as palladium, niobium, vanadium, alloys on the base of Al, Ti, Fe, intermetallics, nonmetallic materials; the achievements of the HTM-technologies, improving their structures, mechanical, physical and catalytic properties are described. Some attention is also given to hydrogen degradation of metals, alloys and steels. The book is intended for Materials Science scientists, physicists, chemists, engineers and other active members of the world hydrogen movement. It will be highly useful for students, postgraduates and young scientists who are interested in the structure, properties and applications of material–hydrogen systems.