Austenitic steel grades offer superior protection for valves in hydrogen applications.
Text by Schubert & Salzer
Hydrogen is developing into a key technology for the energy transition in industry. However, the atoms of the“ green” energy carrier are the smallest and lightest of all elements. Their minuscule size enables them to penetrate many materials, where they can cause structural changes. This places the highest demands on all plant and system components in process engineering and therefore also on the stop and control valves. Valves made of ferritic and martensitic steels are particularly prone to the so-called hydrogen embrittlement, which can lead to material failure.
Material choice decisive for safety
The German manufacturer Schubert & Salzer solves this problem with sliding gate valves made of austenitic steels such as 1.4408 and 1.4404. These materials guarantee a very high resistance to hydrogen-induced cracking. The manufacturer of control and stop valves also makes seat valves from stainless steel 1.4408, especially for hydrogen applications. Classic sealing materials such as EPDM or fluorocarbon rubber cannot be used without restriction in the H2 environment. To prevent material failure caused by hydrogen penetration,
HYDROGEN
Reliable valves for H2 applications
special plastics or metal seals( in cases of high pressure) ensure integrity both permanently and in the event of sudden pressure drops. One of the biggest potential hazards involved in the use of hydrogen is its extremely high flammability. With 4 to 75 percent by volume in air, its explosion range is significantly wider than for other gaseous energy carriers. To reduce this risk, the sliding gate valves from Schubert & Salzer are technically and permanently leak-tight according to the Technical Rules for Hazardous Substances and meet the requirements of the Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control( TA-Luft 2021) according to EN ISO 15848-1. Special versions even achieve body leakage rates of less than 5 x 10-6 mbar l / s and are therefore suitable even for use in closed rooms.
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