Hydrogen permeation barriers
Hydrogen became one of the most investigated energy carriers after the global energy crisis of 1974: “green hydrogen” can be easily generated by electrolysis from renewable sources, and it can replace gas and oil as a clean fuel, becoming the primary energy carrier in the future. The main problem to be solved is the safe storage and long-distance transportation of hydrogen due to hydrogen embrittlement of high-strength steel. This problem has become the driving force behind research into new materials for use as hydrogen permeation barriers.
Principle of hydrogen permeation barrier
Publications:
- R. Hannachi, D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, N. Zachetti, A. Rossi, A surface analytical method for determining the porosity of tungsten coatings as hydrogen permeation barriers, Surface Interface Analysis (2025) doi: 10.1002/sia.70027
- D. Biggio, B. Elsener, A. Rossi, Ni-P Coatings as Hydrogen Permeation Barriers – A Review, Coatings 15 (2025) 365, doi: 10.3390/coatings15040365
- R. Hannachi, D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, N. Zachetti, A. Rossi, A Contribution of XPS and Electrochemistry to the Understanding of Hydrogen Diffusion in X60 Steel, Coatings 15 (2025) 442. doi: 10.3390/coatings15040442
- D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, XPS study of electroless NiP coating on iron substrate, Surface Science Spectra 31 (2024) 024003 doi: 10.1116/6.0003733
- R. Hannachi, D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy investigation of X60 steel, Surf. Sci. Spectra 31 (2024) 024014. doi: 10.1116/6.0003972
Oral presentations:
- D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, Evaluation of the effect of the thickness of hydrogen barrier coatings on iron substrates using surface and electrochemical analytical techniques, Società Chimica Italiana, XXXI Congresso di Chimica Analitica, 7 – 11 settembre 2025, Pisa. Book of Abstracts published online O-SPA-9 page 250
- D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, A multi-analytical approach for assessing the performance of hydrogen permeation barriers on iron, ISA 2025 Incontro di spettroscopia Analitica, Catania 19 – 20 Giugno 2025, Book of Abstracts ISBN: 978-88-94952-55-1 Oral presentation O11 p. 25
- D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, Quantitative XPS analysis: the case of NiP alloys, XXVIII Congresso Nazionale Società Chimica Italiana SCI, Milano 26 – 30 August 2024. ANA-OR-079
- B. Elsener, R. Hannachi, D. Biggio, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, Hydrogen diffusion into structural steel – hydrogen permeation barriers and their characterization, Swiss Corrosion Science Day 2024 24. April 2024 – A European Federation Corrosion Event (n° 508) on the occasion of the World Corrosion Awareness Day, organized by SwissCorr and by Sika Technology AG, Zurich, Switzerland.
Poster Presentations:
- R. Hannachi, D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, N. Zachetti, A. Rossi, Tungsten-coating as hydrogen permeation barrier on X60 steel, XXVIII Congresso Nazionale Società Chimica Italiana SCI, Milano 26 – 30 August 2024. ANA-PO-080
- R. Hannachi, D. Biggio, B. Elsener, M. Fantauzzi, A. Rossi, Tungsten coating on steel as hydrogen permeation barrier: a surface characterization, ECASIA’24 European conference on applications of surface and interface analysis, ECASIA 2024, Goteborg Sweden, from June 9 to June 14, 2024 page 284