New hydrogen storage technologies that do not require compression of the gas are being developed. There are materials that ‘soak up’ hydrogen like a sponge does water and hold it inside a molecular matrix until it is released by heat or some other trigger mechanism.
Storing pure hydrogen, gas or liquid, presents problems in the storage and transportation arena. Metals exposed to pure hydrogen for prolonged periods develop ‘hydrogen embrittlement’ as the hydrogen atoms are small enough to migrate right through the solid metal and escape, like termites in a 2x4.....................
Thanks for the information. One obvious drawback springs to mind.
Can the “hydrogen sponge” materials hold the same mass of hydrogen in an equivalent volume? Sounds to me like these storage mechanisms would likely be a lot more bulky. Of course, volume is one of the problems with hydrogen anyway.