In-situ neutron imaging of hydrogenous fuels in combustion generated porous carbons under dynamic and steady state pressure conditions

We report results from experiments where we characterize the surface properties of soot particles interacting with high-pressure methane. We find considerable differences in behavior of the soot material between static and dynamic pressure conditions that can be explained by multiscale correlations in the dynamics, from the micro to macro of the porous fractal-like carbon matrix. The measurements were possible utilizing cold neutron imaging of methane mixed with combustion generated carbon (soot) inside steel cells. The studies were performed under static and dynamic pressure conditions in the range 10–90 bar, and are of interest for applications of energy storage of hydrogenous fuels. The very high cross sections for neutrons compared to hard X-ray photons, enabled us to find considerable amounts of native hydrogen in the soot and to see and quantify the presence of hydrogen atoms in the carbon soot matrix under different pressure conditions. This work lays the base for more detailed in-situ investigations on the interaction of porous carbon materials with hydrogen in practical environments for hydrogen and methane storage.

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