Hydrogen will play its role in the energy mix of the future. In order to bring hydrogen gas in a cost efficient way to industrial end users, it will be needed to transform the existing pipeline network for natural gas to a network for hydrogen transport. The goal of this project is to examine strategies for treating the inner surface of existing natural gas pipelines, to make them resistant to hydrogen penetration. In this way, they can be reused as H2-pipeline in a hydrogen economy. This will be realized by charting the parameters that play a role in the penetration of hydrogen gas into a metal surface: the nature of the surface at an atomic scale, the effect of the steel alloy, and the effect of the composition of the gas and the impurities it contains.

Does this type of research interest you for a Phd? Read here about the profile of the ideal candidate and how to apply (click the language button at the top right corner to view it in English). 

All applications should be made strictly via the online recruitment platform of Ghent University. Informal inquiries can be sent to [email protected].