H2
Promising and highly efficient technologies for hydrogen generation and system periphery sealing. Our Advanced Products are designed for both. Oxygen, a by-product of hydrogen production, is covered by our LE-Safe Gaskets.
We advance hydrogen.
Transportation and Storage #
For hydrogen flow, we need an infrastructure with a hydrogen core network. The pipelines in the Ruhr metropolitan region, central Germany and Schleswig-Holstein are a start. Further projects to expand the infrastructure are planned, such as the H2-Starter network in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. In addition, current studies show that the injection of hydrogen into the existing German natural gas network of more than 500,000 kilometers appears to be possible.
The operating conditions for hydrogen pipelines are defined by the European Industrial Gases Association [EIGA] as 10 to 210 bar and -40 to 175 °C.
There are many ways to store hydrogen and operating conditions vary widely:
Tank [large cylinder]: 50 to 150 bar
Gas cylinder: 200 to 300 bar
Cryogenic storage: 10 to 15 bar
Metal hydrides: approx. 30 bar
Underground storage tank: up to 210 bar
Sealing solutions #
For flange connections, we recommend IDT Advanced Products. These include high-quality, long-term stable gaskets that aren't prone to embrittlement and our LE-Safe Gaskets with innovative solutions that consider oxygen as a potential hazard in hydrogen production. Our Advanced Products come with a manufacturer's certificate for suitability in a hydrogen atmosphere and excel with leakage parameters in accordance with DIN EN 13555. In addition to standard testing, the parameters were determined using hydrogen.
| LE-Safe | PW-I | Sigraflex® MF | Sigraflex® Hochdruck Pro | UNIFLUOR® 7745 | UNISEAL® 3400 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | KD 01, KD 20, KD 30, WD 20 | ED01 | FD10 [IB] | FD01 | FD11 [IB, highly compressed] | FD01 |
| Gasket Parameters [He] DIN EN 13555 | KD up to 500 bar, WD up to 160 bar | up to 80 bar | up to 80 bar | up to 80 bar | up to 40 bar | up to 40 bar |
| Temperature min. [°C] | -269 | -269 | -269 | -269 | -269 | -50 |
| Temperature max. [°C] | 600 | 250 | 300 | 550 | 225 | 200 |
| Characteristics [H2] DIN EN 13555 [40 bar] | yes | in work | yes | yes | in work | yes |
| Long-term stability without embrittlement | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
UNISEAL® 3400 flat gasket
SIGRAFLEX® HOCHDRUCK PRO
Hydrogen production #
Alkaline electrolysis [AEL] #
Alkaline electrolysis is a solid technology for hydrogen production that is already established on an industrial scale. The electrolyte used is 20-40% potassium hydroxide [KOH]. Alkaline electrolyzers are operated at pressures up to 40 bar and temperatures between 40 and 90 °C. Systems often have a diameter of >1.5 m. The electrodes are made of nickel-based material or titanium coated with special precious metal oxides. A semi-permeable membrane made of zirconium, for example, separates the anode from the cathode.
Sealing solutions #
For sealing the individual cells, UNIFLUOR® 7553, a high-quality multidirectional PTFE filled with barium sulfate, is recommended. Reliable sealing and high functionality of alkaline electrolyzers is guaranteed by its high temperature and chemical resistance profile.
The DIN EN 13555 gasket characteristics allow calculations according to DIN EN 1591-1. Thus, the strength and tightness can be verified for all common gasket thicknesses [1 / 2 / 3 mm]. In addition to functionality, we place particular emphasis on important issues such as resource conservation and cost-effectiveness. An innovative welding technology is used in the production of larger diameter gaskets.
There are unique challenges in sealing the system peripherals. We recommend our LE-Safe Gaskets with innovative solutions for use in the hydrogen landscape that consider the potential hazard of oxygen in advance.
PEM electrolysis #
PEM electrolysis is a promising, high-efficiency hydrogen technology. A NafionTM, Aquivion® or Fumapem® proton exchange membrane is used as electrolyte. PEM electrolyzers are operated at pressures up to 40 bar and temperatures between 20 and 100°C. Due to the higher efficiency compared to alkaline electrolyzers, smaller systems can be built with the same hydrogen yield. The electrodes can be made of base materials such as platinum- or iridium.
Sealing solutions #
We offer customized solutions for sealing the individual cells. The basic materials are high quality fluoropolymers such as PTFE, modified PTFE, PFA or FKM. Materials in this group are characterized by an excellent property profile as well as very good chemical resistance or a wide operating temperature range. They are therefore particularly suitable for the reliable sealing and high functionality of PEM electrolyzers.
The individual cell designs of the manufacturers require precise designs. Our expertise in research and development and in-house engineering enables us to carefully analyze and solve customer-specific challenges. With a potential PFAS restriction in mind, we are also exploring solutions with fluorine-free polymers that would be suitable for PEM electrolyzers.
For system periphery sealing, we likewise recommend our LE-Safe Gaskets, which was designed for oxygen applications.