It is possible to produce heat-resistant parts for modern power industry from inexpensive domestic steels using the method of electrochemical deposition, claim Vyatka State University scientists
Experts told RIA Novosti that the method they improved makes it possible to ensure the resistance of elements to temperatures of 800-900 ° C. The results of the study are published in Energies.
The need for heat-resistant materials is high in various industries. In particular, resistance to high temperatures is important for the operation of high-performance fuel cells, said the VyatSU (Vyatka State University).
Fuel cells are current sources in which the energy of a chemical reaction is immediately converted into electrical energy. Ordinary batteries, accumulators and other electrochemical devices work on a similar principle, the university added.
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are considered the most promising today, since, unlike other types of fuel cells, they can use not only pure hydrogen as a fuel, but also ammonia, synthesis gas, and also provide a high efficiency of about 70%. At the same time, they operate at high temperatures (700–1000 °C), therefore they are made only from materials with increased heat resistance.
"In the past, heat-resistant materials for SOFC power plants were purchased from abroad, they were so expensive that they accounted for more than half of the cost of the entire plant. Today we offer a technology that will allow the production of these elements from domestic low-cost steel" -
explained the head of the Department of Technology of Inorganic Substances and Electrochemical Production of Vyatka State University Anton Kuzmin.
The researchers took as a basis the method of electrochemical coating, which consists of a process where a thin layer of a film of a different metal is applied to a metal product. By selecting reagents and steel samples, the specialists found a production recipe in which the heat resistance reached 800–900 °C. At the same time, the coatings have low electrical resistance, which makes it possible to increase the performance of the fuel cell, the scientist specified.
"This method can provide SOFC service life up to 100 thousand hours. At the same time, the result can be used to create new materials and technologies in the fields of energy, aviation, mechanical engineering and other industries that require special resistance at high temperatures" -
Oleg Elkin, a leading researcher at the Institute of Chemistry and Ecology of the Vyatka State University, added.
The study was conducted within the framework of the strategic project of the Vyatka State University "Habitat", which is included in the program of state support for universities of the Russian Federation "Priority-2030".
Translated by Artemy Sizov
