Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research Dresden, Germany

The Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW Dresden, Germany, (Leibniz Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung – IFW Dresden) with a staff of nearly 350 people is devoted to application-oriented fundamental research. The scope of the institute is the study of relationships between fundamental and application related characteristics of metallic and non-metallic functional materials, the investigation of structural properties and the investigation of processing for property optimisation. Special efforts are directed towards the utilisation of the scientific results in industry by co-operative project research. The “Hydrogen storage materials” group at the IFW Dresden, within the Institute of Metallic Materials, consists of materials scientists, physicists and chemists and has special expertise in the development, synthesis and characterisation of novel nanoscale, light metal hydrides by non-equilibrium processing routes. Within the EU 5^th framework project FUCHSIA, work has focussed on novel hydrogen storage compounds such as nano-crystalline Mg-based alloys (MgH₂, Mg₂NiH₄ and Mg₂FeH₆) modified with PGM (platinum group metals) or graphite to enhance kinetics. Work on complex hydrides such as Mg(AlH₄)₂ or LiBH₄ is in progress.

Dr. Oliver Gutfleisch, is an expert in characterisation of nanocrystalline materials and the reactive synthesis of hydrides.

He is group leader at IFW Dresden responsible for metal hydrides and functional magnetic materials. During the last ten years he has been involved in various European programs BRITE-EURAM and 5^th FP (HITEMAG and FUCHSIA projects). FUCHSIA was devoted to the development of novel light metal hydrides for fuel cell applications. He has co-authored more than 100 papers in refereed journals and is co-author of several patents related to the manufacture of hydrogen storage materials. He has received his PhD in material science in 04/1995 at the University of Birmingham, UK, with hydrogen processing of intermetallic compounds as the topic. O. Gutfleisch has extensive experience with supervising graduate and postgraduate students and has taught several courses at the University of Dresden.

Experimental facilities: As specialised characterisation techniques, high hydrogen pressure differential calorimetry, operated in a dedicated oxygen free glove box to facilitate sample loading, and IGA (Intelligent Gravimetric Analyser) systems, which automatically measure isotherms over a wide temperature and pressure range, will help to collect a comprehensive collection of kinetic and thermodynamic data. The reactive milling technique was extended to pressure up to 150 bar hydrogen. Extensive facilities for solid state analysis are available including chemical analysis of the overall composition and of dope additives, x-ray diffraction (also in-situ XRD at elevated temperatures and hydrogen pressures), analytical high resolution scanning and transmission electron microscopy, XPS and Auger.

S. Doppiu, L. Schultz, O. Gutfleisch, "In-situ pressure and temperature monitoring during the conversion of Mg into MgH2 by high-pressure reactive milling", J. Alloys Comp. 427 (2007) pp. 204-208.

O. Gutfleisch, S. Dal Toè, M. Herrich, A. Handstein, A. Pratt, “Hydrogen sorption properties of Mg-1wt%Ni-0.2wt%Pd prepared by reactive milling”, J. Alloys and Comp. 404-406 (2005) pp. 413-416.

M. Herrich, N. Ismail, J. Lyubina, A. Handstein, A. Pratt, O. Gutfleisch, „Synthesis and decomposition of Mg₂FeH₆ prepared by reactive milling”, Material Science and Engineering B 108 (2004) pp. 28-32.

O. Gutfleisch, N. Schlorke-deBoer, A.S. Pratt, A. Walton, J. Speight, I.R. Harris, A. Züttel, “Hydrogenation properties of nanocrystalline Mg- and Mg₂Ni-based compounds modified with platinum group metals (PGMs)”, J. of Alloys and Comp. 356-357 (2003) pp. 598-602.

Contact:

Dr. Oliver Gutfleisch
Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research
Institute for Metallic Materials
P.O.Box 270016
D-01171  Dresden
Germany

Phone +49 (351) 4659-664
Fax +49 (351) 4659-541

http://www.ifw-dresden.de/imw