Hydrogen gas cylinders by DCEC Cylinders are a quality certified solution for safe and reliable clean energy storage. Hydrogen gas is an excellent energy source for ultraclean environments like semiconductor manufacturing as well as efficient off-grid energy storage and clean vehicle fuel.
What are the manufacturing standards for hydrogen gas cylinders?
Hydrogen storage is needed for many clean energy technologies, but hydrogen gas is highly combustible when mixed with air, requiring high standards for hydrogen gas cylinder manufacturing. Hydrogen gas cylinders need to meet safety and durability requirements when filled with high pressure hydrogen. The type of metal used to make the cylinder and the manufacturing process are both very important for reducing the effect of hydrogen gas reacting with the cylinder and reducing structural strength.
Why is aluminum used for manufacturing hydrogen gas cylinders?
Hydrogen gas can cause hydrogen embrittlement (HE), even in the dry filtered environment inside a pressurized hydrogen gas cylinder. This is a serious problem for steel cylinders, which rapidly break down without additional linings or coatings, but aluminum forms an impervious oxide layer that gives higher protection against hydrogen permeation as well as resisting leaks.
What is hydrogen permeation and embrittlement of hydrogen gas cylinders?
- The very low molecular weight of hydrogen makes it able to permeate metals at an atomic level
- Permeation leads to embrittlement of the metal cylinder, making it weak
- Embrittlement can cause sudden and unexpected failures, even explosions
- Preventing hydrogen permeation is an important factor in hydrogen gas cylinder manufacturing.
Does the manufacturing process affect hydrogen gas cylinder integrity?
Different manufacturing processes for hydrogen gas cylinders have different effects on the physical structure and smoothness of the internal and external metal surface as well as the crystalline structure of the metal cylinder. To reduce hydrogen permeability, a very smooth internal surface is required, with a thin coating of aluminum oxide to act as a barrier between the hydrogen and the aluminum metal. Heat annealing increases strength and is a vital element of high pressure cylinder manufacturing.
Seamless cylinders are best for hydrogen gas cylinder manufacturing
Manufacturing cylinders by extrusion gives you a seamless tube with a smooth, dense, microstructure that makes a much more durable hydrogen gas cylinder than one made by forming and welding metal sheets. DCEC uses the extrusion method for all our high strength aluminum alloy cylinder manufacturing, with extensive testing and quality control to ensure our cylinders meet the required safety standards.
Why is aluminum alloy a good material for hydrogen gas cylinders?
- Aluminum oxide surface coating resists hydrogen permeability
- Extruded cylinders have microfine crystalline structure that reduces leakage
- High strength to weight ratio combined with good ductility
- Fatigue resistance when refilled many times
- Comparatively low cost compared to composite and lined hydrogen cylinders
DCEC use aluminum T6061 alloy for hydrogen gas storage cylinders
T6061 aluminum has extremely high resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, which is why DCEC cylinders use T6061 for our pressurized hydrogen gas storage cylinders. 6061 series aluminum alloys offer high strength and corrosion resistance with low weight, making them highly suitable and cost-effective for hydrogen storage uses.
Labelling & marking requirements for hydrogen gas cylinders
DCEC cylinders offers a comprehensive in-house marking, screen printing and painting service for all our cylinder products, which makes it easy for you to conform to regulatory requirements for serial numbers, color schemes and labelling for hydrogen gas cylinders. Simply specify what visual elements and design features are required, or supply your own artwork and we will do the rest as part of the production process.
Hydrogen gas cylinders from DCEC Cylinders
We only use zero inclusion 6061 aluminum alloys from our trusted supply chain partners to ensure that our seamless extruded hydrogen gas cylinders are as reliable and trouble free as possible. Our standard 1800 psi aluminum alloy cylinders are currently being used for a wide range of low pressure hydrogen gas storage applications. In-house manufacturing quality control and testing, certified to ISO standards, ensures defect-free shipments that you can rely on for all your pressurized cylinder needs.
Contact our team to discuss your requirements for hydrogen gas cylinders, including labelling, color, artwork and regulator options that we can include in a comprehensive package. Our entire manufacturing process is carried out at our facility in Taiwan, and conforms to all the relevant regulatory requirements that you can expect from high quality Taiwanese engineering.
