Clean energy has become a top priority for governments and industries around the world, as reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to limiting the impact of climate change. In this context, hydrogen is emerging as a promising clean energy source for vehicles and beyond.
Hydrogen vehicles offer significant advantages over electric vehicles, especially for applications that require carrying heavy loads over long distances. Thanks to their greater range and rapid refuelling capacity, these vehicles are particularly suitable for long-distance road haulage of goods, where battery range limitations and long charging times represent significant obstacles.
This feature, combined with the ability to produce hydrogen with renewable energy locally, makes hydrogen vehicles an eco-friendly choice, particularly effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuel vehicles, contributing significantly to reducing the environmental impact in the transportation sector.
With the right supporting infrastructure, hydrogen could represent an important solution to ensure the green transition in the automotive, heavy and industrial vehicle sectors.
Protecting hydrogen circuit components is critical to ensuring the safety and reliability of hydrogen vehicles. The mechanical components of the hydrogen circuit must resist corrosion and wear resulting from the chemical aggression of substances found on the road, such as water, salts, hydrocarbons and other environmental pollutants.
Importantly, high hydrogen pressures can also cause leakage problems if the sealing surfaces of hydrogen circuit components corrode over time. Hydrogen is highly flammable and any leakage could create an explosive environment. For this reason, the safety of hydrogen vehicles also depends on the ability of hydrogen circuit components to resist corrosion and wear over the life of the vehicle.
Using surface treatments can increase the resistance of components to mechanical stress and corrosion, prolonging their useful life and ensuring reliable and safe operation of hydrogen vehicles.
Electroless nickel plating and anodizing are two surface treatments that can be used to protect hydrogen circuit components from corrosion and wear.
Electroless nickel plating is a chemical deposition process that deposits a nickel-phosphorus alloy layer on the surface of the material to be protected. This nickel layer offers corrosion and wear protection, resisting corrosion in both acidic and alkaline environments. In addition, electroless nickel plating can be used to protect all major metal alloys, including iron, copper and aluminum.
Anodizing, on the other hand, is an electrochemical process that is used to protect aluminum alloys from corrosion and wear. During anodizing, a layer of aluminum oxide is formed on the surface of the metal. This layer acts as a protective barrier against corrosion and wear and can be colored for aesthetic purposes.
In summary, electroless nickel plating and anodizing are effective solutions for protecting hydrogen circuit components from corrosion and wear. These surface treatments offer a high level of protection against chemical attack, as well as increased mechanical resistance against stresses resulting from high hydrogen pressures.
The following table summarizes the main characteristics of these coatings and the indicative degree of protection they can offer.
| Features | Electroless nickel plating | Anodizing |
|---|---|---|
| Metals that can be coated | Aluminum alloys Copper alloys Iron alloys | Aluminum alloys |
| Corrosion resistance in environments with neutral pH | ★★★★☆ on Aluminum alloys ★★★★★ on Copper alloys ★★★★☆ on Iron alloys | ★★★★★ on Aluminum alloys |
| Corrosion resistance in environments with slightly acidic pH | ★★★☆☆ on Aluminum alloys ★★★★☆ on Copper alloys ★★★☆☆ on Iron alloys | ★★☆☆☆ on Aluminum alloys |
| Corrosion resistance in environments with slightly alkaline pH | ★★★☆☆ on Aluminum alloys ★★★★★ on Copper alloys ★★★★☆ on Iron alloys | ★★☆☆☆ on Aluminum alloys |
| Wear resistance | ★★★☆☆ on Aluminum alloys ★★★★☆ on Copper alloys ★★★★☆ on Iron alloys | ★★★★★ on Aluminum alloys |
Bipolar plates are essential components of electrolyzers since the oxidation-reduction reaction induced by direct current takes place on their surface, transforming water into gaseous H2 and O2. These surfaces must be conductive and must resist the corrosion of alkaline or acidic aqueous solutions necessary for the production of H2 and O2 gas.
For these components, electroless nickel plating can offer technically advantageous and economically viable solutions for corrosion protection and maintenance of conductivity in some types of electrolyzers (PEM, AEM, AEMWE), where the bipolar plates are made of carbon steel, stainless steel or titanium.
The alternative to electroless nickel plating is represented by precious metal coatings (gold, platinum, iridium) or gas-phase treatments such as PVD or CVD, which are generally more expensive and less practical on a large scale. It is therefore very important that, for a rapidly expanding sector such as electrolyzers, technologies and materials with high availability and low costs can be adopted.
Electroless nickel plating guarantees excellent corrosion resistance and can protect bipolar plates from dissolution and oxidation reactions that occur on the cathode and anode of the electrolytic cell.
Our expertise in the application of electroless nickel plating on bipolar plates, combined with our ability to treat large volumes efficiently, puts Micron srl at the forefront as a partner for the scale production of hydrogen electrolyzers, especially now that demand is accelerating.
Micron has developed and manufactures electroless nickel plating formulations in-house, having perfected the technical expertise necessary to ensure effective deposition on different types of stainless steel and titanium.
For more information on our electroless nickel plating services and to find out how we can support your hydrogen production electrolyzer project, please do not hesitate to contact us. Visit our website or contact us directly for advice or to request a quotation.
Hydrogen circuit components in electric vehicles - including valve bodies, reducers, and cylinder parts - need protection from corrosion. Electroless nickel plating and anodizing can protect them from corrosion and wear, prolonging their life and increasing reliability.
Cylinders, valve bodies and reducers, used for hydrogen storage, flow control and pressure regulation, can be subject to corrosion and wear due to mechanical friction and exposure to atmospheric or aggressive chemical agents. Electroless nickel plating and anodizing provide protection, increase resistance and prolong their operating life.
These components are often made of aluminum alloys, a lightweight, economical and easy-to-machine material. Durox has significant experience in the anodic oxidation of aluminum, ensuring results capable of meeting the most stringent quality and reliability requirements for these components.
In conclusion, protecting components of the hydrogen circuit through electroless nickel plating or anodizing is an opportunity to ensure their safety and durability over time. Corrosion and wear of mechanical components can cause hydrogen leakage and potentially create dangerous situations. Electroless nickel plating and anodizing improve their resistance, helping make the entire chain of production and use of hydrogen as a clean energy source safer.
Hydrogen represents an important resource for the transition to a sustainable future, and protecting components related to its production and use is essential to ensure the effectiveness and safety of hydrogen vehicles in this scenario.
One of the main properties of electroless nickel plating is its corrosion resistance. Electroless nickel plating is in fact used on mechanical metal parts (steel, aluminum alloys or copper alloys) when protection from oxidation and corrosion by external agents is required.
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The main metal alloys used in precision engineering are iron, aluminium and copper alloys, thanks to their mechanical properties, availability, cost-effectiveness and ease of machining.
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Difference between electroless nickel plating and electroplated coatings
Electroplated coatings (such as chrome plating, electrolytic nickel plating, zinc plating, zinc-nickel plating) are deposited by applying direct current to the part, which allows the metal to be deposited on the surface of the part to be coated.
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