Rethinking liquid hydrogen storage with metal-organic frameworks
Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) is attractive for long-distance energy transport because of its high volumetric energy density. But even well-insulated tanks cannot completely prevent heat from entering. As the liquid warms, hydrogen evaporates and pressure builds, leading to boil-off losses during storage and transport.
Liquid hydrogen (LH₂) offers high energy density for long-distance transport but suffers from boil-off losses. A research team studied whether porous materials could limit these losses. They used metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), highly porous crystalline materials, to capture evaporating hydrogen. MOFs contain nanoscale pores that adsorb hydrogen, slowing pressure buildup.
The team tested two MOFs, IRMOF-20 and MIL-53(Al), with different pore structures. IRMOF-20 retained 97% of liquid hydrogen's volumetric capacity, extending tank depletion from 64 to 221 days. MIL-53(Al) retained hydrogen more strongly but held only 53% of the capacity. The study suggests porous materials can reduce boil-off while preserving much of the storage capacity needed for LH₂ transport.
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