HYDROGEN STORAGE IN METAL HYDRIDES

AS SPACECRAFT PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS BECOME MORE RIGOROUS, MATERIALS AND PARTS SPECIFICATIONS BECOME MORE DIFFICULT TO MEET. HIGH PERFORMANCE MUST BE COMBINED WITH LIGHTWEIGHT TO DERIVE THE MAXIUM BENEFIT FROM SPACECRAFT COMPONENTS. SIMPLICITY IS ALSO ESSENTIAL IN AVOIDING MAJOR REDESIGN AND INCREASED COSTS FOR COMPLICATED SYSTEMS. CURRENT AND FUTURE SPACECRAFT SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRE A METHOD TO SAFELY STORE HYDROGEN. IN THIS PHASE I PROGRAM, ULTRAMET PROPOSES TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF INFILTRATING A CARBON FOAM WITH A HYDROGEN-ABSORBING MAGNESIUM COMPOUND BY CHEMICAL VAPOR INFILTRATION (CVI), A VARIATION OF THE CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (CVD) PROCESS. THE RESULTANT COMPOSITE FOAM STRUCTURE WILL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF BEING LIGHTWEIGHT, HAVING A HIGH SURFACE AREA WITH WHICH TO STORE HYDROGEN, AND BEING SIMPLE IN BOTH DESIGN AND USE.