Top 3 Questions About Hydrogen Sealing Technology & Innovation

Global hydrogen demand is expected to surge 60% by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency - a shift that will reshape the energy landscape. This growth brings immense opportunities, but also new engineering challenges related to hydrogen safety.

Last month, our Energy and Aviation experts participated in the Sustainable Transportation Summit hosted by SAE International, which focused on hydrogen technologies. During our presentation, the following three questions were the most popular from industry professionals. Read along for our responses.

In the Energy Hydrogen sector, we developed a dedicated hydrogen technical platform to address global customer challenges, i.e., material compatibility, leakage prevention, and efficiency in high-pressure, cryogenic environments. Working together with customers every step of the way has helped us develop successful and tailored solutions – from initial in-depth analysis to simulation services, the final solution is proven to perform in their real-world applications and environments.

Further, we conduct rigorous material testing to ensure our seals perform under extreme conditions in various hydrogen carbon-free systems: hydrogen production, transport & storage and refueling for the energy industry; and advanced battery technologies for the aviation industry.

A good example is Blue Hydrogen with CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage) where our technical team has successfully completed a third-party certification campaign of several of our fluoropolymer materials with pure and contaminated CO₂. The solution solved our customers’ needs for long-term reliability, safety, and efficiency. 

For more details, see our Hydrogen Industry Handbook.

Hydrogen is emerging as a significant factor in the transition to clean energy in several critical industries. Three industries are part of our strategic focus due to customer demand: carbon-free energy, aviation, and space.

• The first is carbon-free energy, energy production, transport, and storage where we are working with key majors to provide seals and materials in alkaline electrolyzers, hydrogen pipeline valves and compressors, hydrogen storage tanks, and refueling stations. These applications require leakage control and efficiency over long distances.

  As mentioned earlier, CCUS is a critical application in which our sealing solutions and materials are specifically designed for proven chemical resistance to CO₂ impurities and long-term mechanical stability.

• The second is aviation due to the rise in hydrogen-powered aircraft and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), where you need precision-engineered components. Lighter weight, reliability, and safety are mission critical.

  For more details see our Aviation Applications & Solutions Infographic

• The third is space and related to rocket propulsion and in-space power generation. In missions we support such as NASA's SLS, these rockets use large quantities of liquid hydrogen for fuel, while fuel cells powered by hydrogen can supply electricity and water for life support. As a result of hydrogen's extremely low temperature and high flammability, storage and handling present significant technical challenges. We have developed sealing solutions to handle these extreme challenges.

As you can see, there are many industries that need hydrogen expertise and innovation to grow faster but safely. Each solution is unique to industry-specific requirements, and this is where our decades of experience support customers to achieve higher efficiency, safety, and sustainability in their hydrogen projects.

Hydrogen’s small molecular size makes it one of the most challenging gases to contain. Leakage not only reduces efficiency but also poses safety and environmental risks. High-performance seals must withstand extreme mechanical, thermal, and chemical conditions while maintaining a leak-tight barrier over an extended period of time. For several decades, these proven sealing and material solutions have been trusted in launch vehicle, satellite and rover missions.

• Omniseal^® Polymer Seals are engineered to withstand rapid gas decompression and maintain consistent sealing even under high pressures up to 100 MPa. They perform across wide temperature ranges and can operate reliably down to cryogenic levels near -253C. These spring-energized and rotary lip seals (rotary shaft seals) are often used where flexibility, pressure resistance, and thermal range are key.

• Omniseal^® Metal Seals are selected when extreme sealing reliability is required. They offer exceptionally low leakage rates, excellent chemical inertness, and high mechanical and thermal resilience. Their durability makes them ideal for static or dynamic systems where long-term performance is critical.

• Rulon^® Fluoropolymers are used when wear and friction control as well as heat generation are needed. They also offer excellent tribological properties in gaseous and liquid hydrogen environments, being a strong choice for moving components and wear-sensitive applications.

• Meldin^® Thermoplastics are designed for their high-performance stability in hydrogen environments, with excellent tribological behavior, good permeability resistance under high pressure, and handling of extreme pressures up to 100 MPa. They are ideal for parts exposed to mechanical and chemical stress.

To further support industries in hydrogen technology and innovation, our Aviation and Energy Teams participated in a Sustainable Transportation Summit hosted by SAE. Our hydrogen experts, Dongyeop Shin and Jeff Pavelka, led a live session on “Enabling Hydrogen with Advanced Sealing Solutions.”  They shared how our technologies support every step of the hydrogen journey — from production and storage to transport and mobility — with real-world examples in commercial vehicles, refueling stations, and hydrogen-powered aviation.

Go here to watch our experts share their insights and knowledge: Sustainable Transportation Summit Webinar