Created by : Asger Rasmussen

Cryogenic hydrogen at -253°C

The customer is a leading specialist in the design and production of fluid connectors and hose systems. Our partnership is built on innovation, technical development, and solving demanding sealing challenges.

As part of the green transition, many passenger cars and light vehicles are now powered by electric batteries. For heavier vehicles, ships, and other demanding transport applications, however, the transition often requires alternative energy carriers such as hydrogen or e-fuels.
In heavy-duty road transport, the first fuel-cell hydrogen truck models are now entering the market. In these applications, hydrogen may also be handled in cryogenic form, creating extremely demanding conditions for the sealing components used throughout the system.

The customer needed a sealing solution for cryogenic hydrogen. Cryogenic hydrogen refers to hydrogen cooled to approximately -253°C, only 20°C above absolute zero.
Hydrogen is the smallest molecule, H₂, with a molar mass of just 2 g/mol. By comparison, methane, the main component of natural gas, has a molar mass of 18 g/mol. This makes hydrogen extremely difficult to contain, especially under cryogenic conditions where materials are exposed to severe thermal stress and dimensional changes.

Cryogenic Hydrogen

Challenges

At -253°C, only selected engineering plastics, such as UHMWPE, PTFE, PCTFE, and PEEK, are suitable candidates for sealing materials. At this extreme temperature, both UHMWPE and PTFE undergo significant thermal contraction, making dimensional stability a critical design challenge.
PEEK and PCTFE offer lower shrinkage at cryogenic temperatures and significantly lower hydrogen permeability. PEEK also provides the highest resistance to extrusion caused by pressure, making it the preferred material choice for this application.
However, PEEK is a very stiff material, and at -253°C it becomes even less flexible and more brittle. Dana-Seals has addressed this challenge with DanaFlon 196, a PEEK-based material specially developed for cryogenic applications. Compared with standard PEEK, DanaFlon 196 offers significantly higher elongation at break, even at -253°C.

Cryogenic Hydrogen

Challenges

The sealing material itself is only one part of the challenge. The seal must also be properly energized, typically by using metal springs. In cryogenic hydrogen applications, selecting the right spring material requires highly specialized know-how, as both the temperature and hydrogen environment place severe demands on material performance.

Case Cryogenic Hydrogen

Why was Dana-Seals chosen

Dana-Seals is known as a flexible and solution-oriented partner, committed to addressing even the most challenging sealing problems. With specialized know-how in materials, seal design, and demanding applications, Dana-Seals is able to support customers where standard solutions are not sufficient.

Getting the right material, having the correct process machinery and skills Dana-Seals has become an even better partner for our customer for this and other challenging applications.
By combining the right material, advanced processing machinery, and specialized technical skills, Dana-Seals has become an even better partner for our customer, both in this cryogenic hydrogen application and in other demanding sealing challenges.

Let us help you find the right solution

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