Material selection and key challenges for high-purity hydrogen spheres and other equipment

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I. How to select materials for high-purity hydrogen? For reference: High-purity ammonia, the special features of high-purity ammonia storage tanks and tank trucks; Application scenarios of high-purity ammonia and its industry prospects. Shula believes there are three approaches: 1. Carbon steel can be used, with proper treatment of the inner surface – processes such as epoxy zinc-rich coating or other treatments can be employed (internal cleaning, degreasing, coating, polishing, etc. are all options), which is the most cost-effective approach ； 2. Stainless steel is also an option, with an internal polishing treatment; it has the highest cost ； 3. It can also be combined with steel and have an internal polishing treatment; its cost is relatively lower than that of stainless steel. The selection of materials for high-purity hydrogen should be based on the downstream application scenarios. Applications of high-purity hydrogen in various industries; the applications of high-purity hydrogen and its future prospects in these industries. II. Challenges related to high-purity hydrogen storage tanks and other equipment: Companies that produce electronic-grade high-purity hydrogen need to have very high production capabilities. They must possess advanced manufacturing equipment, as well as extensive expertise in gas purification, treatment of container interiors, gas filling, and gas analysis. Additionally, they require a skilled technical team and engineering resources. In addition, the industry of electronic-grade high-purity hydrogen is characterized by high customer barriers. Downstream customers place great emphasis on the product quality and supply capacity of suppliers of such hydrogen, and they often adopt a certification-based procurement approach. Strict selection processes are required, including sample testing, technical discussions, feedback, technical improvements, small-scale trials, large-scale production, and evaluations of after-sales service; as a result, it takes a considerable amount of time for products to gain the approval of downstream customers. Due to various high barriers, there are few manufacturers in the industry of electronic-grade high-purity hydrogen. Companies that manufacture equipment for high-purity hydrogen need to have very high production capabilities. It should be noted that not all companies that have experience in manufacturing custom containers are able to produce containers for high-purity ammonia or high-purity hydrogen; therefore, careful consideration must be given when selecting a manufacturer. Advanced production equipment and sophisticated construction techniques are required; the inner surfaces of spherical tanks, tank trucks, and container tanks must be treated, polished, and cleaned to meet specified cleanliness standards. High requirements also exist regarding insulation, and manufacturers need to have a large team of experienced technicians and engineering resources. The purity requirements for high-purity hydrogen and high-purity ammonia differ, and manufacturing companies choose different levels in their production processes accordingly. Only a few aspects of these processing techniques are mentioned here; it’s not possible to go into detail about the rest. As a result, the manufacturing processes for equipment using high-purity ammonia and high-purity hydrogen are complex, and not all factories that produce ordinary custom-made equipment are capable of handling them. Containers that are not manufactured in strict accordance with the specified manufacturing procedures result in low purity of the high-purity hydrogen supplied to the customer, leading to waste of the cost associated with the entire tank of gas, and may even cause problems in subsequent use. III. Standards specify the purity requirements for high-purity hydrogen as outlined in GB/T 3634.2-2011: 5 nines denotes high-purity hydrogen, while 6 nines indicates ultra-high-purity hydrogen; however, 4 nines is the level that is most commonly used in practice