In Situ High Pressure Hydrogen Tribological Testing of Common Polymer Materials Used in the Hydrogen Delivery Infrastructure
March 31st, 2018
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A test methodology for quantifying tribological properties of polymers used in hydrogen infrastructure service is demonstrated and characteristic results for a common elastomer are discussed.
Overview
This article presents a test methodology for evaluating the tribological properties of polymers used in hydrogen infrastructure. It discusses the significance of understanding friction and wear properties of these materials under high pressure hydrogen conditions.
Key Study Components
Area of Science
- Materials Science
- Polymer Engineering
- Hydrogen Infrastructure
Background
- Hydrogen gas is a potential fuel for near zero emissions vehicles.
- A refueling infrastructure is essential for the hydrogen economy.
- Components in this infrastructure often combine metal and polymer materials.
- Metals have been extensively studied, but polymers require further investigation.
Purpose of Study
- To quantify the tribological properties of polymers in hydrogen service.
- To understand the impact of high pressure hydrogen on polymer compatibility.
- To aid in the design of dynamic seals and components.
Methods Used
- Development of a test methodology for tribological assessment.
- Characterization of elastomer performance under high pressure hydrogen.
- Analysis of friction and wear properties.
- Comparison of results with existing metal studies.
Main Results
- Characteristic results for a common elastomer are presented.
- Insights into friction and wear behavior under high pressure conditions.
- Identification of critical factors affecting polymer performance.
- Recommendations for future research directions.
Conclusions
- Understanding polymer behavior in hydrogen environments is crucial.
- The developed methodology can guide future studies.
- Further research is needed to optimize polymer materials for hydrogen applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main components of hydrogen infrastructure?
Typical components include compressors, actuators, valves, regulators, and hoses.
Why is it important to study polymers in hydrogen environments?
Polymers are used in critical components, and their compatibility under high pressure hydrogen is not well understood.
What is the focus of the study?
The study focuses on the tribological properties of polymers used in hydrogen service.
How does high pressure hydrogen affect polymers?
High pressure hydrogen can impact the friction and wear properties of polymers, which is vital for their performance.
What methodology was developed in this study?
A test methodology for quantifying the tribological properties of polymers was developed.
What are the implications of the study's findings?
The findings can inform the design of better dynamic seals and components for hydrogen infrastructure.
Executive Industry Relevance
Understanding polymer tribological behavior under high pressure hydrogen is critical for ensuring the reliability and safety of hydrogen fuel delivery infrastructure. This methodology enables predictive assessment of material performance, supporting risk-informed selection of sealing and barrier materials in compressors, valves, and hoses. By quantifying friction and wear changes in situ, it aids in de-risking dynamic seal design and advancing hydrogen infrastructure development.
Strategic Applications in Biopharma R&D
Early Discovery & Target Validation
- Scientific Value: Enables interrogation of material-hydrogen interactions to clarify mechanisms of polymer degradation under pressure.
- Operational Value: Provides reproducible friction and wear metrics for comparative material screening.
Screening & Assay Development
- Scientific Value: Generates quantitative coefficient of friction and wear factor data for polymer performance ranking.
- Operational Value: Standardizes tribological testing under controlled high pressure hydrogen conditions for assay readiness.
Translational & Preclinical Research
- Scientific Value: Supports translational continuity by linking material behavior to real-world infrastructure performance.
- Operational Value: Enables risk-adjusted advancement decisions based on empirical wear resistance thresholds.
Pipeline & Workflow Integration
The method fits within the discovery continuum by informing material selection early in component design, prior to prototyping and system-level validation.
- Discovery Biology: Supports hypothesis testing on polymer-environment interactions that affect functional longevity.
- Screening: Delivers reproducible, quantitative tribological outputs for material comparison and down-selection.
- Analytics: Provides kinetic coefficient of friction and wear factor calculations to enable objective performance benchmarking.
- Translational Research: Connects lab-scale tribological data to infrastructure reliability and maintenance forecasting.
- Enterprise Reuse: Establishes a reusable platform for evaluating multiple polymer systems across hydrogen service conditions.
Operational & Enterprise Impact
- Scientific Value: Predictive confidence in material compatibility, reduction of mechanistic ambiguity in polymer-hydrogen interactions.
- Operational Value: Standardization, reproducibility, and scalability of tribological assessment under high pressure.
- Strategic Value: Improved go/no-go decisions for material selection, capital efficiency, and reduced late-stage failure risk in infrastructure deployment.
- Portfolio Impact: Risk-adjusted prioritization of polymer candidates based on empirical wear and friction performance.
Implementation Considerations
- Requires expertise in tribology, high pressure systems, and polymer material science.
- Needs ASME-certified pressure vessel, custom tribometer, LVDT, load cell, and hydrogen handling infrastructure.
- Demands cross-team standardization of sample preparation, orientation, and environmental controls.
- Must account for polymer-specific responses such as swelling or diffusion when adapting to other elastomers.
- Limited to linear reciprocating motion; may not capture complex multi-axis wear dynamics in actual components.
Biopharma FAQs
Why does measuring coefficient of friction matter for polymer validation in hydrogen environments?
Measuring the coefficient of friction quantifies surface interaction changes under high pressure hydrogen, which directly impacts seal performance and leakage risk in dynamic components. Increased friction, as observed with EPDM in hydrogen, can affect actuation force and wear accumulation. This measurement supports go/no-go decisions based on functional performance thresholds.
How does isolating the independent variable of high pressure hydrogen enable material screening?
Isolating high pressure hydrogen as the independent variable allows direct attribution of friction and wear changes to the gas environment, excluding confounding factors like temperature or humidity. This enables accurate comparison of polymer responses across conditions. Controlled exposure ensures reproducible screening data for material ranking and down-selection.
What do quantitative dependent variable measurements of friction force and penetration depth enable?
Quantitative measurements of frictional force (via load cell) and penetration depth (via LVDT) enable calculation of the kinetic coefficient of friction and wear factor, providing objective metrics for material performance. These outputs allow comparison between hydrogen and ambient conditions, supporting data-driven material selection. The data also informs modeling of long-term wear behavior in infrastructure components.
Why do replication requirements matter for cross-functional collaboration in material validation?
Replication ensures that observed tribological changes are consistent and not due to experimental variability, building confidence in material data shared across R&D, safety, and engineering teams. Consistent results support standardized specifications for polymer use in hydrogen systems. This reliability is essential for aligning cross-functional decisions on material qualification and deployment.
What statistical analysis capabilities are required before implementing this tribological method?
Implementation requires capability to calculate kinetic coefficient of friction from frictional and normal forces, and wear factor from penetration depth, pressure, volume, and time data. Teams must be able to compare means and variances between test conditions (e.g., hydrogen vs. air) to assess statistical significance. These analyses enable objective material ranking and risk assessment.
