Trelleborg opens hydrogen testing lab in US

Fort Wayne, Indiana – Trelleborg Sealing Solutions (TSS) has opened a new hydrogen testing lab in Fort Wayne as part of an ambitious goal to become “a leader in hydrogen sealing and testing.”

Inaugurated 17 June, the unit expands TSS’s “existing and future hydrogen testing capabilities” and enables it to help customers “navigate the challenges of the entire hydrogen value chain.”

Testing capabilities at the unit encompass “all critical criteria for sealing hydrogen,” including hydrogen leak-detection, compatibility, dynamic testing and permeation testing.

Furthermore, tests can replicate aggressive application conditions for rapid gas decompression, where hydrogen in a high-pressure system can be absorbed into a seal potentially damaging the seal.

There are also testing capabilities for pressures up to 15,000 PSI/1,034 bar, and across all temperature ranges from cryogenic to above 350 °F/180 °C, as well as “environmental thermal cycle testing at various pressure profiles.”

According to James Simpson, Trelleborg global segment director of energy, there are limited polymer options that can be confidently recommended to seal hydrogen.

Furthermore, he said, there is also a lack of defined industry standards specifying how materials should be properly tested and verified to work effectively with hydrogen.

Trelleborg is, therefore, investing in its own approved hydrogen test rigs, Simpson explaining: “Our experts design proprietary test programmes to prove the performance of materials and provide customer confidence.” 

Also commenting, John Mclaughlin, director of R&D services expects future investments in hydrogen to be “significant” in view of efforts to reduce emissions.

“The market needs for hydrogen sealing components range from standard products to highly engineered solutions where few in the industry have extensive experience,” Mclaughlin said.

Trelleborg, he added, has “materials and solutions that not only meet today’s accepted criteria but are ready to scale up in future industrialised processes.”