The Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security funds the national project “Ecostore H2,” which aims to develop eco-sustainable ultra-porous polymers and carbons for the storage and transportation of hydrogen.
The Institute for Composite Polymers and Biomaterials (IPCB) of the CNR of Portici (Naples) is a partner in the project.
In addition to the Cnr-Ipcb, the University of Sannio (Benevento), the Fiat Research Center (now in the Stellantis group), and SOL S.p.A., a company listed on the Milan Stock Exchange and a leader in the production and distribution of technical gases like oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen, are partners in the 36-month project, which has total funding of 3,800,000 euros and is coordinated by the University of Eastern Piedmont.
The goal is to create new ultra-porous materials that are stable, affordable, ecologically benign, and sustainable for the adsorption of hydrogen gas for use in large-scale distribution and automotive applications.
The project’s first kick-off meeting took place on Monday, February 13; according to Professor Leonardo Marchese, director of the Department of Science and Technological Innovation (DiSIT) of Alessandria, the challenges will be “the creation of new materials with the dual properties of safety and sustainability for the storage and transportation of hydrogen.
Due to the incredibly small molecular size and high volatility of this gas, it represents one of the most difficult scientific and technological difficulties. The project will move within the Green Economy, using secondary raw materials, such as plastic waste from construction waste and packaging, to obtain materials with adsorption properties compatible with the requirements of the US Department of Energy (DOE) for effective storage of H2 (40 g/L at 100 bar)”.
It will be necessary to use cutting-edge modeling-computational techniques, as well as the synthesis and characterization capabilities of materials that will be optimized on a laboratory scale, in order to meet the goals established by “Ecostore H2.” The development of the demonstrator, the validation of the product, and the development of industrial implementation strategies for the acquired products and processes, as well as for their commercial exploitation, will all benefit from the presence of two significant industrial realities.
