New! Whitepaper on coating development for a hydrogen automotive application
We are proud to present our whitepaper on developing coating solutions for components used in hydrogen, for instance in a hydrogen internal combustion engine. This is a lesser-known application of hydrogen technology for mobility – compared to the more well-known hydrogen fuel cells – yet with strong potential for specific applications such as long haul trucks and heavy duty construction vehicles. The whitepaper is available for download now! Let’s start with a little preview of what it covers.
Hydrogen creates challenging environments
One of the challenges in developing a coating for hydrogen applications is that hydrogen is a dry gas. In contrast to natural compressive gas (CNG), it does not contain any lubricating compression oil. This means that your chosen coating needs to have a self-lubricating effect in hydrogen gas. In addition, hydrogen can diffuse into the surface of components exposed to it, leading to hydrogen embrittlement which may cause components to fail prematurely.
In addition to these hydrogen-related challenges, our project had more: because we developed coatings for fuel injectors, that means they also had to withstand high hydrogen gas pressures and high temperatures.
Preview of tests and results
The Ionbond development process is of course very complex. Going through this process, the focus was on low-friction (<0.05 coefficient of friction) and low wear rate in a hydrogen atmosphere. We evaluated four potential coating types on these qualities.
We also investigated the barrier properties of the coatings, to avoid hydrogen diffusion and prevent embrittlement. Even if the coatings are only a few micrometers thick, they can work as a barrier to reduce the diffusion significantly. This means the coating will help the component – and thereby the engine – be that much more robust.
Download the whitepaper now
Would you like to see our development process in action and read more about the winning coatings? Download the whitepaper today.
Are you enthusiastic about this topic and this application? Or would you like to run some tests of your own? Then let’s meet up at the Hydrogen Combustion Engine Alliance trade show! We’ll be there from 10-11 September 2024, and we’d love to talk in more depth. Make sure to get in touch beforehand, so we can schedule time together at the show.
Whitepaper
Coatings for Tribological Hydrogen Automotive Applications
Our tribological coatings are the perfect solution for boosting the longevity and efficiency of your injection components, valves, and compressors. Download our whitepaper now for more insights!
7 pages | 11 minutes well spent
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