Aluminum alloys with 40% higher strength can lead to safer components

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have developed novel aluminum alloys that exhibit a 40% increase in strength alongside a fivefold improvement in resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, without sacrificing ductility. By adding scandium to aluminum-magnesium alloys and employing a complex size-sieved precipitation strategy with two-step heat treatment, they engineered dual nanoprecipitates: fine Al3Sc particles that enhance strength, and core-shell Al3(Mg,Sc)2/Al3Sc nanophases that trap hydrogen and prevent embrittlement. This innovative alloy design overcomes the traditional trade-off between strength and hydrogen resistance. The method was validated across various aluminum alloy systems and demonstrated scalability using industrially relevant casting and thermomechanical processing techniques. Advanced characterization methods, including atom probe tomography and electron microscopy, confirmed the atomic-level hydrogen trapping mechanism. Published in Nature, this research addresses a critical limitation in aluminum alloys for the hydrogen economy by enabling safer, stronger, and more durable components suitable for large-scale industrial production