Application of Powder Metallurgy in New Energy Materials

Powder metallurgy technology has returned to people's horizons due to the rapid development of science and technology and the vigorous development of new energy materials, and has been continuously innovated and developed. Powder metallurgy technology improves the phenomenon of insufficient energy utilization, environmental pollution and energy waste caused by the original manufacturing process, and takes traditional manufacturing technology as the development basis, integrates emerging science and technology and emerging development concepts, and is applied to new energy technologies directly related to energy development and utilization, and is highly respected.

1. Fuel cell materials

A fuel cell is a device that directly converts the chemical energy of fuel gas (or gas after liquid or solid fuel is gasified) into electrical energy. In the current energy system structure, the performance of fuel cells restricts the rapid development of many cutting-edge technologies and becomes a research direction that the energy industry is eager to break through.

The application of powder metallurgy technology in the fuel cell industry is mainly reflected in the preparation of fuel cell sealing components and electrode materials.

Through the application of powder metallurgy technology, it is possible to synthesize tin-based alloy materials with high safety and high rate and nano Sn-based alloy-carbon composite materials. This material can greatly improve the charging and discharging energy consumption of fuel cells, and at the same time it also has a certain guarantee effect on the charging and discharging safety of fuel cells. The application of powder metallurgy technology can make the production of this material industrialized and large-scale.

In addition, the cathode material of the fuel cell is porous strontium-doped lanthanum manganate, and the preparation of porous materials can only use powder metallurgy technology.

2. Solar energy materials

As a new type of renewable green energy, solar energy has become an important object of world new energy exploration due to its rich resources and mature utilization technology, and it has an important position in the new energy structure system. How to use solar energy efficiently, safely and stably is the key point of solar energy utilization technology.

The main aspects of solar energy utilization include thermoelectric solar energy technology and photovoltaic solar energy technology. The preparation and performance optimization of thermoelectric materials and photovoltaic materials in solar energy utilization technology can be achieved through powder technology. For the photovoltaic application of solar energy, solar cells are the key. The performance of solar cell materials is the key to ensuring the efficiency of solar energy photoelectric conversion. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of traditional crystalline silicon solar cells is relatively low, which reduces the utilization rate of solar energy and restricts the application scope of solar energy.

Powder metallurgy technology has incomparable advantages over traditional metallurgical technology in solar photovoltaic conversion. The polycrystalline silicon film prepared by powder metallurgy technology can effectively replace traditional crystalline silicon materials in photovoltaic conversion technology, and the photovoltaic conversion efficiency is significantly improved. Due to the breakthrough of material bottlenecks, the development speed of solar photovoltaic conversion technology is accelerating year by year.

In addition, the thermal power utilization technology of solar energy mainly absorbs solar energy through solar absorption panels, and then utilizes it through technical means. Therefore, the material performance of solar absorption panels has become the key point of technological development. Powder metallurgy technology can fully develop the material properties of absorption panels during the manufacturing process of absorption panels, give full play to the role of powder in pigments and binders, and highlight the practical application of powder metallurgy technology, thereby significantly improving the solar absorption efficiency.

3. Wind energy materials

Wind energy is one of my country's new energy sources with a wide range of applications, covering all areas of our lives and industries, and is a resource-rich green energy.

The practical application of powder metallurgy technology in wind energy materials is mainly to make wind power generation materials and realize the production of permanent magnet NdFeB materials and wind turbine materials. The production of these two materials plays a very critical role in the safety and reliability of wind power generation equipment, and directly affects the power generation efficiency.

In the production of wind power generators, copper-based powder metallurgy technology is used to produce the corresponding requirements for the friction coefficient and wear rate of the generator brake pads. The brake pads produced by copper-based powder metallurgy technology have high thermal conductivity and low friction coefficient. These advantages enable the equipment to be used effectively even in harsh temperature environments.

The use of permanent magnet NdFeB materials replaces traditional permanent magnet materials with new permanent magnet materials. The materials are made by powder metallurgy process with rare earth powder.

4. Hydrogen storage materials Hydrogen energy

Since its combustion product is water, it belongs to zero-carbon clean green energy. The key points of hydrogen energy application are mainly in two aspects, one is the production of hydrogen energy, and the other is the storage of hydrogen energy.

As far as hydrogen energy storage is concerned, due to its active chemical properties and certain explosion hazards, there are strict requirements for the selection of hydrogen energy storage methods and storage materials. Hydrogen storage alloy is a general term for metal or alloy materials that can store hydrogen energy. It has a strong ability to capture hydrogen and can decompose hydrogen molecules into single atoms in the alloy based on a certain pressure and heat.

The principle of hydrogen energy storage is that after decomposition, single atoms can enter the gaps between atoms of the storage material and form relatively stable and safe metal hydrides through chemical reactions. From a macroscopic point of view, the storage material can absorb hydrogen energy and release chemical heat energy during the absorption process. If more hydrogen energy is to be used, it is necessary to add energy to the storage material to reverse the storage chemical process, decompose the hydride, release hydrogen atoms, and then combine them into hydrogen molecules.

The storage performance of hydrogen energy storage materials for hydrogen energy is much higher than the storage efficiency of physical gas cylinders, and the chemical stability of storage can also be guaranteed.

Powder metallurgy technology can effectively prepare hydrogen energy storage materials, and add specific rare metals during the manufacturing process, which can achieve a double improvement in storage efficiency and storage stability.

5. The significance of the application of powder metallurgy technology in new energy materials

The mining of emerging energy can effectively reduce the degree of energy waste and more effectively protect the environment, which is conducive to sustainable development, but it still has many defects and shortcomings in actual application.

The application of powder metallurgy technology has improved the safety of energy mining, the effective utilization rate and the degree of conversion between different new energy sources. It has become a popular technology in the mining and use of new energy materials.

Powder metallurgy technology can be effectively and targetedly applied in new energy materials such as solar energy materials, fuel cell materials, wind energy materials, and hydrogen storage materials, thereby improving the conversion rate between different energy sources, reducing energy waste, and reducing the difficulty of energy mining and utilization.

Powder metallurgy technology has great development potential in the development and application of new energy materials. Vigorously develop powder metallurgy technology, expand it in the field of new energy development and application, and play its role in protecting the sustainable development of new energy.