Hydrogen Systems: Ensuring Quality of Materials

This video explains how you can ensure that your Hydrogen systems are selected with quality materials. As a source of clean energy, hydrogen significantly contributes to a more sustainable future. However, it can embrittle poor-quality steel materials, leading to unexpected component failures.

Hydrogen is adept at finding flaws and establishing leaks in steel tanks, valves, tubes and fittings. Leaks may not occur immediately after installation but become more likely as time passes.

Hydrogen diffusing into the material causes a loss of ductility, making it more brittle and more susceptible to cracking. Materials with high mechanical strength or a significant number of defects and inclusions are likely to be more susceptible to this type of failure. Improper and non-controlled material processing or heat treatment can result in high densities of undesirable phases and inclusions in the raw material.

These factors can cause premature failure of components in hydrogen service  - and this failure can occur suddenly, without prior warning.

When specifying components for hydrogen systems, it’s important to not only check the grade of the metal but also know how it's processed and treated and how it will be used throughout the system.

A hydrogen system with poor-quality components may work well when initially commissioned, but the problems will come later as the hydrogen degrades the material.

OEMs can protect themselves by working with suppliers who offer valid material certificates that offer traceability information, which can reliably prove a material's quality.

Material certificates are used in the metals industry to certify:
  • Technical parameters
  • Manufacturing routes
  • Heat treatment details
  • Testing results
  • Compliance with national or international standards.

Several industry standards establish harmonized material certificate formats, ISO/EN 10204 being the most widely used and the 3.1 type certificate the most common one.

Not all commercially available materials have a material certificate. Additionally, not all certificates offer the same level of information and traceability can significantly differ.

What can you expect from Parker?
Material certificates supplied by Parker include full provenance with good material traceability, describing:
  • Melting processes
  • Heat treatment details  (temperature, time)
  • Testing methods
  • Chemical analysis
  • Mechanical characteristics
  • Other details
Each product has a trace code and a fully documented history, allowing Parker to trace it back to the mill where it was manufactured. It doesn't end there.

Parker follow stringent manufacturing processes to avoid hydrogen pre-charge into the material.

Parker also ensure that the material is not overstressed during the manufacturing stages.

From sourcing high-quality raw materials to following stringent manufacturing processes, Parker is committed to delivering high-quality finished components for your hydrogen systems.

For more information call us at (855) 737-4714 or fill out our online form.