Hydrogen Could Cause Gas Turbines to Age Faster

August 7, 2026

Source: E & M powernews

A research team has investigated how hydrogen damages turbine materials at high temperatures. The findings could influence material development for H2 gas turbines.

An international research group, including the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, has investigated how hydrogen affects turbine blades made of nickel-based superalloys under gas turbine operating conditions. The findings, now published in *Nature Materials*, show that hydrogen can significantly accelerate the embrittlement of the material at elevated temperatures, the Max Planck Institute announced on August 6. According to the researchers, the damage occurs at least twice as fast as at room temperature.

According to the researchers, the study addresses a key issue for the use of hydrogen in power generation and aviation. The authors note that gas turbines supply about 22 percent of the world’s electricity. At the same time, they account for about 15 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. Hydrogen is considered a potential fuel for CO2-free operation. However, whether existing materials can withstand the altered stresses over the long term has not yet been sufficiently investigated.

The study focused on nickel-based superalloys, which are used to manufacture turbine blades. While the effects of hydrogen on metals at room temperature have already been extensively studied, the researchers note that reliable results for the temperature range in which gas turbines operate have been lacking until now.

Severe Damage at Certain Temperatures

According to the researchers, the damage mechanism differs significantly from that observed at low temperatures. At room temperature, hydrogen primarily accumulates at interfaces, where it promotes embrittlement. At elevated temperatures, the hydrogen also penetrates the carbides. Carbides are chemical compounds that increase the strength of nickel-based superalloys, steels, and composite materials. There, hydrogen reacts with carbon to form methane. The resulting gas generates high local pressure at the interfaces between the carbides and the nickel matrix, thereby accelerating material failure.

The analysis revealed, however, that methane formation occurs only at around 400 degrees Celsius. According to the authors, thermodynamic conditions favor the reaction between hydrogen and carbon exclusively at this temperature. Above 400 degrees Celsius, this mechanism could not be detected.

The researchers view this as a particular challenge for gas turbines. Unlike steam turbines, gas turbines regularly undergo start-up and shutdown procedures during operation and thus more frequently pass through temperature ranges in which hydrogen-induced damage can occur. As a result, components could be repeatedly exposed to critical conditions.

Implications for Materials Development

The results partially call into question the traditional role of carbides in nickel-based superalloys. Carbides increase the strength of these materials and contribute significantly to their mechanical resilience. At the same time, under a hydrogen atmosphere at certain temperatures, they can become the starting point for damage.

From the researchers’ perspective, this points to two directions for development. Future alloys could rely on alternative strengthening mechanisms or be adapted to achieve a better balance between strength and resistance to hydrogen-induced embrittlement.

The authors also derive requirements for the qualification of new materials from these findings. Alloys for hydrogen-powered gas turbines should be tested under realistic operating conditions. Only in this way can the effects of thermal cycling and a hydrogen atmosphere on service life and operational safety be assessed.

The study was led by East China University of Science and Technology, the Max Planck Institute for Sustainable Materials, and Hunan University, and was published in the journal *Nature Materials *.

Author: Heidi Roider