The Third International Conference “Hydrogen Treatment of Materials” (HTM-2001), Donetsk, May 14-18, 2001 was the first international

hydrogen meeting held under the effect of a new conception "From Hydrogen Economy to Hydrogen Civilization", which was firstly developed by V.A. Goltsov and T.N. Veziroglu. That was a meeting of the representatives of three subcommunities of the world hydrogen movements: the hydrogen energy subcommunity, the hydrogen–materials subcommunities and the subcommunity of industrialists ensuring safety and efficiency of hydrogen use in terms of the up-to-date industry. More than 130 attendies from 60 organizations in the USA, Great Britain, Spain, Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Libya and Japan took part in the Conference.

Such a membership let the Conference cover the achievements of hydrogen economy, hydrogen treatment of materials, and global subjects of a transition to Hydrogen Civilization of the future.

At the final Plenary meeting the participants discussed and adopted the Memorandum calling upon the world community, peoples and states to unite their efforts and to contribute with all the expertise attained to the transition of the humankind to the era of Hydrogen Civilization.

To be published in the International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.

Advancing to hydrogen economy that was initiated about 27 years ago [1] is based on the fact that hydrogen is a unique, ecologically clean energy carrier. Nowadays, the world hydrogen movement involves two large international communities. The first one is a hydrogen energy community [1]. It comprises analytical thinkers of the planetary scale, scientists and power energy engineers, transport engineers, physicists, chemists etc., that is all those who work in the sphere of production, transportation, storage and usage of hydrogen as an energy carrier (instead of conventional fossil fuels). The other one, which has its own long history, is a community of scientists and engineers working in the sphere of hydrogen interaction with materials [2,3]. The latter, first of all, ensures the functioning of the up-to-date hydrogen productions, this being dangerous because of hydrogen degradation of materials. The other task of this community is to provide modern productions with functional materials (hydrides, membranes, electrodes, catalysts and so on). And lastly, the third task of this community is to improve the properties of the existing materials, as well as to develop new ones using the technologies of hydrogen treatment of materials [4].

The transition to Hydrogen Economy and then to Hydrogen Civilization, as any epoch-making transformation of a sphere of human activity, cannot be serene in principle. The whole history of engineering proves this. On this journey, we will come across global achievements, obstacles and maybe even set back.

So, one of the most important tasks of the worldwide hydrogen movement is to keep an eye on and forecast the development of hydrogen uses and, if possible, to prevent negative technical and social tendencies like the "Hindenburg syndrome".

In this connection, a group of initiators of the International Engineering Academy, International Association for Hydrogen Energy and Permanent Working International Scientific Committee on Hydrogen Treatment of Materials have decided to update the ideology of HTM-conferences.

It was devoted to global problems of hydrogen economy. In his keynote speech "Hydrogen energy system for a sustainable development", Professor Veziroglu informed the participants on the progress of hydrogen economy during the period since the "romantic" time of the mid-1970s till now. These advances are impressive and give hope for the future. The speech of the IAHE President has been listened to with great attention and interest.

Professor J.O’M. Bockris, a well-known scientist, was historically the first to pronounce aloud "Hydrogen Economy" [5], the term has become known worldwide now. He took part in the Conference as an invited e-mail participant. Being of great interest for hydrogen people, his report took account of the history of development of the concept of using hydrogen as a long-term solution of the problems of global warming and pollution since the 1930s through the 1970s untill now and the problems of a further hydrogen economy development. Bockris’ report has been published in the HTM-2001 Proceedings [6] and in the special issue of the IJHE.

In the keynote speech of V.A. Goltsov and T.N. Veziroglu [7,8] the authors have called attention of the participants to a new conception of the future transition of the humankind to Hydrogen Civilization. Biospheric and noospheric consequences of this transition have been analyzed and the steps to be taken to move to such a future Hydrogen Civilization have been discussed.

In their invited report, Dr. A.K. Golovchenko (Russia) and co-authors [9] informed the participants about the experience of a large scale liquid hydrogen production, storage and transportation. This very experience including a high-efficiency insulation, liquid hydrogen delivery to customers by auto- and railway tankers, is of great importance for the present hydrogen economy development and a future transition to Hydrogen Civilization.

Academician I.K. Pokhodnya (Ukraine) and Professor Yu.A. Archakov (Russia) have illuminated the importance of hydrogen–material problems for the safety and efficiency of the present industry and for a future transition to Hydrogen Civilization [10,11].

The founders of this action were the International Association for Hydrogen Energy (USA), the International Engineering Academy (Russia), the Engineering Academy of Ukraine, the Donetsk State Technical University and the Donetsk Engineering and Physical Center (Ukraine). To coordinate their activities the High Contracting Parties (HCP) have signed the Agreement and established “The Joint Scientific and Coordinational Council on the Prospects of Transition to Hydrogen Economy” (JSC-Council) on a non-profitable basis. Any organization can join this Agreement sharing its aims and tasks. The Agreement and Minutes No. 1 of the First Business Meeting of the HCP have been published in the special issue of the Journal.

The present Hydrogen Economy status and prospects were debated by participants with heat. It has been found quite evident that new times and new tasks require new solutions. Prof. V.A. Goltsov, Prof. T.N. Veziroglu and Dr. F. Lewis were assigned the work to prepare a prospectus of a special Memorandum for its further discussion and adoption at the Round Table meeting of the Closing Session of the Conference.

At the Conference there were two sections dealing with hydrogen-material problems.

Section 1 [12] was devoted to the theory and technology of hydrogen treatment of materials: hydrogen (H) as a permanent and temporary alloying element; hydrogen-induced phase transformations and related phenomena; theory and technology of the HD-, HDD- and HDDR-processes of permanent magnets of the Nd₂Fe₁₄B type; strengthening, plastification, structure improvement (Nb, Ti, Pd, Zr, Fe, Ni, Al deformed and cast alloys); amorphization of intermetallics; improvement of electronic and catalytic properties of oxides, nitrides and other nonmetallic materials.

Section 2 [13] dealt with hydrogen degradation of materials and preventive technologies; H-embrittlement and destruction; H-attack, H-induced crack generation; H-cold cracking of welded joints; blistering; flakes and the like.

A special session [13] of an absolutely great importance was devoted to the ways and prospects of preventing destructions of natural gas pipelines, chemical and petrochemical equipment and other industrial uses of hydrogen. Some main players in the field took part in the special session, namely: Concern “Gazprom” (Russia) and its institutes; JSC “Khartsyzsk Pipe Plant” (Ukraine); JSC “MGE Azovstal” (Ukraine), JSC “MMGE named after Ilyich” (Ukraine), JSC “Taganrog Metallurgical Plant” (Russia), heat power plants, petrochemical plants and others.

All the factors of a final unpredictable wreck, i.e. metallurgical production of pipe steels, production of pipes and other equipment, pipelines operating conditions and the like, have been closely discussed in accordance with the up-to-date scientific and technological level [13]. Most of the speaker have especially emphasized the idea that summarized knowledge is of great importance both for the present industry and a future safe transition to Hydrogen Civilization.

On the third day the Azov Sea voyage was made during which the first informal Round Table devoted to the discussion of different problems of hydrogen economy and hydrogen treatment of materials was held. On the fourth day, there was a comprehensive inspection of the fundamentals of hydrogen technologies, namely: P-T-x phase diagrams of metal-hydrogen systems, hydrogen solubility and diffusion, peculiarities of the behaviour of a hydrogen subsystem, radiation influence and the like [12,13].

The DonSTU Great Council has awarded to the President of the IAHE, Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu the Honorary Title “Honorary Doctor of the Donetsk State Technical University” because of his outstanding contributions to the development of Hydrogen Energy in the World, congregation and consolidation of the World Hydrogen Community, his life-long fruitful cooperation with the Donetsk State Technical University. At the Opening Session of the HTM-2001 the Diploma of "Honorary Doctor of the Donetsk State Technical University" to Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu has been presented.

Then, Professor T.N. Veziroglu and Professor V.A. Goltsov, on behalf of the IAHE and the PWISC HTM presented “Gold Medal” and Diploma to Dr. Frederick A. Lewis, the world-renowned scientist, for his discovery of a new physical effect in Pd-H systems. In 1983 Dr. Lewis and his group discovered an “Uphill hydrogen diffusion effect in palladium and palladium alloys membranes”. Then, within the space of a few years Dr. Lewis and his co-workers from many countries had been carefully investigating this new effect, its macroscopic manifestation, and its diffusion–elastic nature were ascertained [14]. This effect is fundamental and very important for many technologies of hydrogen treatment of materials. By the decision of the IAHE and PWISC HTM, for this reason this effect is named “Lewis effect” (for more information, please, see a short communication of the special issue of the Journal).

The Honorary Gold Diplomas of the IAHE and PWISC HTM in the field of hydrogen treatment of materials have been presented to Profs K. Aoki (Japan), G. Borisov (Ukraine), I. Chernov (Russia), Y. Hayashi (Japan), H. Yoshimura (Japan), Drs V. Shvachko, L. Smirnov (Ukraine), and Engineer V. Chertov (Russia).

The Honorary Silver Diplomas of the IAHE and the PWISC HTM in the field of hydrogen treatment of materials have been presented to Drs. S. Mel’nick (Ukraine), M. Murzinova (Russia), O. Nosochenko (Ukraine), Engineer A. Bocheck (Ukraine).

Professor I.K. Pokhodnya, Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), has presented the Diploma of NASU Presidium to a young scientist Mrs. M.V. Goltsova for a series of scientific publications in the field of hydride phase transformations.

The editor of the Book Professor V.A. Goltsov has presented the book [4] to the participants of the HTM-2001. He stressed that this is the first book in a novel field of Materials Science and Engineering. It has generalized the up-to-date knowledge related to all hydrogen-materials problems. The world-renowned scientists and experts from 10 countries have contributed to the book.

Some book authors: Dr. F. Lewis [15], Profs. V.A. Goltsov [16], K. Aoki [17], Y. Hayashi [18], E. Lunarska [19] and others have presented their review chapters of the book to the participants.

Professor T.N. Veziroglu observed that the book had been prepared by the plan of activities of the PWISC HTM under the auspices of the IAHE. He said: “I am sure, the readers of the book will positively estimate both the authors’ scientific achievements and a great activities of the PWISC HTM” [20].

The book "Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials" [4] was of great interest for the HTM-2001 participants. It has been reviewed in the special issue of the Journal.

It was devoted to a conclusive information exchange among the representatives of three subcommunities: the hydrogen energy one, the hydrogen–materials one and the community of industrialists. It has become clear that nowadays every participant of the hydrogen movement should be painfully aware of a great responsibility for a safe transition to Hydrogen Economy, first, and then to Hydrogen Civilization.

The Conference has considered and adopted the Memorandum which, being devoted to transition from Hydrogen Economy to Hydrogen Civilization, calls upon all the members of the world hydrogen movement and world ecological movement everybody who is concerned about the ecological well-being of the humankind, the presentation of the Earth’s biosphere and ecosystem to contribute to come nearer to the Era of Hydrogen Civilization of the future [7,8,21].

The Memorandum has been published in the special issue of the Journal.

The new conception “From Hydrogen Economy to Hydrogen Civilization” is of a great importance for the humankind future. The HTM-2001 International Conference was the first international meeting organized and held in accordance with the ideology based on this new conception.

The HTM-2001 Conference has clearly shown that at this very historical moment one of the most important tasks of the worldwide hydrogen movement is to keep constantly an eye on the forecast development of hydrogen economy and to prevent negative technical and social tendencies like the “Hindenburg syndrome”.

The HTM-2001 Conference has shown that this task and the like can be better understood and solved with the help of a wide information exchange among leading representatives of the hydrogen energy community, hydrogen–material–safety community and the community of industrialists having an experience in hydrogen production and consumption.

Just this exchange of information and knowledge has initiated a new reflection of future steps on the road to Hydrogen Civilization. Accordingly, the Conference has worked out and adopted “The Memorandum on the transition from the fossil system to Hydrogen Economy and then to Hydrogen Civilization”.

The next conference of this series will be held in 2004 and will continue the traditions conceived in Donetsk.

[1] Veziroglu TN. Quarter century of hydrogen movement. In: Mao ZQ, Veziroglu TN, editors. Hydrogen energy progress XIII. vol. 1. Beijing, China, 2000, p. 3-22.^

[2] Goltsov VA. The role and importance of Hydrogen Materials Science and Hydrogen Treatment of Materials for successful development of Hydrogen Economy in the 21st century. In: Mao ZQ, Veziroglu TN, editors. Hydrogen energy progress XIII. vol. 1. Beijing, China, 2000, p. 127-138.

[3] Goltsova LF. HTM-community: history and up-to-date status in the World hydrogen movement. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk–Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. 511-522.^

[4] Goltsov VA, editor. Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk–Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. 543 pp.^

[5] Bockris JO'M, Appleby AJ. The hydrogen economy: an ultimate economy? Environment 1971;13:51.^

[6] Bockris JO'M. The origin of ideas on a Hydrogen Economy and its solution to the decay of the environment. In: Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference “HTM-2001”, Donetsk–Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, Donetsk, 2001. p. 33-52.^

[7] Goltsov VA, Veziroglu TN. From hydrogen Economy to Hydrogen Civilization. Int J Hydrogen Energy 2001;26:909-915.

[8] Goltsov VA, Veziroglu TN. Planetary aspects of transition to future hydrogen civilization. In: Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference “HTM-2001”, Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, Donetsk, 2001. p. 53-64.^

[9] Golovchenko AK, Gorbatsky YuV, Domashenko AM. Nelidov VV, Skorodumov BA., Production, storage and transportation of liquid hydrogen. Experience of infrastructure development and operation. In: Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference "HTM-2001", Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, Donetsk, 2001. p. 65-67.^

[10] Pokhodnya IK. Controlling hydrogen during welding processes. In: Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference “HTM-2001”, Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, Donetsk, 2001. p. 68-70.

[11] Archakov YuA. Up-to-date problems of hydrogen corrosion of steels and safety of equipment exploitation in hydrogenisation processes. In: Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference "HTM-2001", Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, Donetsk, 2001. p. 482-491.^

[12] Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference “HTM-2001”, Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, vol. I, Donetsk, 2001. 1-278 p.^

[13] Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference “HTM-2001”, Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, vol. II, Donetsk, 2001. P. 279-508.^

[14] Goltsov VA. Lewis effect. In: Goltsov VA, editor. Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference “HTM-2001”, Donetsk-Mariupol, 14-18 May 2001, Donetsk, 2001. p. 277.^

[15] Lewis FA. Uphill hydrogen diffusion effects: nature and manifestations. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk-Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. 147-159.^

[16] Goltsov VA. Fundamentals of hydrogen treatment of materials. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk-Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. 3-36.^

[17] Aoki K. Hydrogen-induced amorphization of intermetallics. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk-Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. 353-365.^

[18] Hayashi Y, Ishikawa T. Effects of hydrogen inclusion on electrical properties of metal oxides and nitrides. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk-Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. 409-421.^

[19] Lunarska E. Some hydrogen effects at the metal surface treatment. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk-Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. 233-254.^

[20] Goltsov VA. Some aspects of transition to future hydrogen civilization in the light of Vernadsky’s study. Proceedings of International Scientific Conference “Creative Heritage of V.I. Vernadsky and the present epoch, Donetsk, 10-12 April 2001, 2001, p. 433-439.^

[21] Veziroglu TN. Preface. In: Goltsov VA, editor, Progress in Hydrogen Treatment of Materials, Donetsk-Coral Gables: Kassiopeya, 2001. p. ix-x.^