Greene Tweed has launched EPM 893, which is a PFAS-free ethylene propylene sealing compound for hydrogen and CCUS – carbon capture, utilization and storage applications.
The Lansdale, Penn.-based company remarked that the new material provides low-temperature sealing efficiency, the ability to withstand fast gas decompression, and chemical compatibility in order to meet reliability issues associated with high-pressure gas systems.
Applications include hydrogen refueling systems, valves, underground storage facilities, instrumentation, mechanical seals, CO2 compressors, and pumps, as well as pipeline facilities.
It is worth noting that seals that are made use of in hydrogen and CCUS operations need to be able to cope with high-pressure gas exposure, fast-pressure cycling, vigorous process media as well as low operating temperatures, the company said.
Such conditions may lead to traditional elastomers breaking, blistering, losing their elasticity, or deteriorating and can trigger leakage as well as increased maintenance requirements.
Interestingly, EPM 893 was created to tackle these issues while removing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – PFAS, a group of chemicals under increasing regulatory scrutiny.
Suitable for high-pressure gas applications
Greene Tweed has tested EPM 893 in hydrogen and supercritical CO₂ environments of almost 200 bar or 2,900 psi and has shown resistance to fast gas decompression.
Rapid gas decompression may result in damaging elastomeric seals if gas absorbed under pressure is expanded during depressurization, resulting in internal blistering or cracking.
The material has also been qualified for use with 100% hydrogen, supercritical CO₂, and oxygen service, as well as amine-based carbon capture processes, the company said.
Third-party testing was performed by Greene Tweed in compliance with ISO 23936-2, ISO 17268/SAE J2600, and NACE TM0192.
The compound is available in O-rings and GT rings as well as custom-molded configurations for application in valves, compressors, instrumentation, and mechanical seals, as well as CO₂ transportation systems.
According to product manager Sealing Systems at Greene Tweed, Arturo Flores, “Hydrogen and CCUS projects are often evaluated through the lens of megatons and gigawatts, but their success is built on operational discipline: tight systems, low leakage, and equipment that lasts. EPM 893 was developed to reduce the tradeoffs engineers typically face in these environments. It offers a practical path to fewer seal changes, fewer leaks, and the reliability required in applications where failure is not an option.”
Building the energy transition portfolio
Notably, the introduction adds to the portfolio of Greene Tweed when it comes to sealing products for hydrogen production, carbon capture, and transportation as well as storage infrastructure.
Companies building hydrogen and CCUS infrastructure require collaborators that can scale with them right from production and capture to transportation and storage, said the General Manager of Sealing Systems and Seal-Connect, Charles Burke. He further added that the new Sealing Compound for Hydrogen and CCUS applications is a reflection of the company’s constant investment when it comes to sealing technologies for the full hydrogen and CCUS value chains.
The material is designed to offer compressor operators and equipment manufacturers a different sealing choice for use cases that involve high-pressure hydrogen as well as CO₂, especially when pressure cycling, low temperatures, and compatibility with chemicals are important factors to consider.