Taiwan’s NCKU develops hydrogen-resistant stainless steel 416B
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Update time : 2025-02-18 17:02:17
The team led by Fei-Yi Hung, a professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), has developed stainless steel 416B, hydrogen-free steel, that is resistant to hydrogen tunneling and not susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement. They have also developed 420L as a safe welding material.
Hydrogen energy is considered a clean energy because it is pollution-free, but the hydrogen embrittlement problem affects safety and there is no perfect solution in the world yet. Although traditional stainless steel, such as 309 and 316, is corrosion-resistant, it cannot resist hydrogen embrittlement and lacks strength and impact resistance. Although glass fiber is used for hydrogen storage, it is carcinogenic if it is inhaled into the lungs and has poor crash resistance.
416B hydrogen-free steel has high strength, corrosion resistance, good magnetic properties, and can resist hydrogen tunneling after heat treatment. It is suitable for hydrogen storage and hydrogen-resistant parts.
After testing, it was found that the hydrogen tunneling resistance of hydrogen-free steel is more than 1 times that of traditional stainless steel, which can improve the safety and efficiency of hydrogen-powered vehicles and hydrogen-fuel transportation pipelines.
The team is applying for a patent for the project, which is expected to promote the development of hydrogen energy in the future.
