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Trelleborg expands H2 testing capabilities in Fort Wayne
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is set to break ground on a 1,000 square-feet H2 testing lab in Fort Wayne, Indiana with construction scheduled to be completed in Q1 of 2024. The lab space gives Trelleborg the capacity to expand its existing and future H2 testing capabilities.
The development is part of Trelleborg’s strategic goal to be a leader in H2 sealing and testing to help customers navigate the challenges of the entire H2 value chain: generation, storage and transportation, end use and future H2 applications.
Konrad Saur, Vice President of Innovation & Technology said, “Customers often do not know the testing specifications for H2. In the absence of agreed H2 test procedures, people reference established testing standards for certain niche applications or oil and gas applications. However, these tests are not representative of the requirements for H2 applications, so Trelleborg has established a H2 application-specific test regime based on our expert knowledge of H2 sealing requirements.”
Testing capabilities offered at the facility will be H2 leak detection, compatibility, dynamic testing and permeation testing which are all critical criteria for sealing H2. Engineering experts will perform tests that replicate worst case application conditions for rapid gas decompression, where H2 in a high-pressure system can be absorbed into a seal and if the pressure is suddenly relieved, gas trapped in the seal can expand, potentially causing the seal to blister and crack as the gas tries to escape. There will also be 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, and environmental thermal cycle testing at various pressure profiles.
John Mclaughlin, Director of Research and Development Services said, “Used as both energy storage and as fuel, H2 is potentially transformative in the battle to reduce emissions. Research by Deloitte predicts over $9 T in investment for H2, making the industry bigger than the oil and gas sector and automobile market combined.
“The market needs for H2 sealing components range from standard products to highly engineered solutions where few in the industry have extensive experience. With our current testing capabilities and the ones we will bring online with this additional facility, Trelleborg can support almost all H2 sealing demands. We have materials and solutions that not only meet today’s accepted criteria but are ready to scale up in future industrialized processes. We also are not dependent on external labs that are increasingly busy, and we encourage customers to inquire about how we can support their hardware development and testing requirements.”
Trelleborg recently launched the H2Pro range of sealing materials for every application of the H2 value chain, including H2Pro EBT25, a new ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) for high-pressure environments across a wide range of temperatures, and Zurcon H2Pro ZLT, a unique thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) for very low temperatures.
H2Pro materials are also available in a range of other compounds and seal profiles including:
- Turcon polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and thermoplastic compounds for use as Varilip lip seals
- V-Stack seals for use in static and dynamic applications with cryogenically compressed H2 and liquid H2 (LH2)
- Fluorocarbon rubber (FKM) seals for blue H2
- Lower-hardness EPDM compounds and silicone compounds for lower-pressure applications
- Metal seals for static LH2 applications
- Wear-resistant composite bearings and piston rings for compressor applications.
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