Additively Manufactured Silicone Polymer Composite with High Hydrogen Getter Content and Hydrogen Absorption Capacity

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hydrogen gas accumulation poses challenges in sealed systems.
• 1,4-bis[phenylethynyl] benzene (DEB) with palladium on carbon (Pd/C) are effective hydrogen getters.
• Integrating getters into functional materials requires advanced formulation and manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate a silicone-based composite resin incorporating DEB-Pd/C as an active hydrogen getter material.
• To investigate the additive manufacturing of these silicone getter composites with high getter loading.
• To evaluate the hydrogen absorption capacity of the 3D-printed getter materials.

Main Methods:

• Formulation of silicone polymer composite resins with varying DEB-Pd/C content (up to 50 wt%).
• Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) to assess material compatibility.
• Rheological studies to determine printability parameters for additive manufacturing.
• 3D printing of getter composite samples.
• Hydrogen absorption capacity testing at 750 mTorr pure hydrogen.

Main Results:

• Silicone polymer and DEB showed no reaction at elevated curing temperatures (75 °C).
• Printable composite resins were successfully formulated and characterized.
• 3D-printed getter composites with 50 wt% DEB-Pd/C achieved 83% normalized DEB conversion.
• The 50 wt% getter composite demonstrated a hydrogen adsorption capacity of 100.2 mL H₂ per gram of composite.

Conclusions:

• Silicone-DEB-Pd/C composite resins are suitable for additive manufacturing of hydrogen getters.
• High getter loading is achievable without compromising material integrity or performance.
• The developed 3D-printed materials show significant potential for hydrogen mitigation in sealed systems.