Hydrogen Transformation

For decades, hydrogen has been used to produce ammonia for fertilizer production as well as several other industrial processes, for example in the production of plastics and pharmaceutics. Now ammonia is being produced as a transport vector for hydrogen itself. Hydrogen, as a molecule contains the highest energy content per kilogram of any molecule in the universe, however it is also happens to be the smallest molecule in the universe. Subsequently, volumetric energy density of hydrogen at normal atmospheric conditions is extremely low (0.09 kg/m³). In order to transport hydrogen cost effectively, it must be liquified to increase its energy density, a technology that is being developed. Liquid hydrogen has a boiling point of roughly -253°C meaning the energy required to keep this it this cold is quite substantial. Since the boiling point of liquid ammonia is around -33°C and is already shipped at scale worldwide, several projects and companies are planning on using this method to carry hydrogen long distances where pipelines do not exist or are not feasible.

Other compounds, such as LOHC (liquid organic hydrogen carriers) or biomethanol are also options to ship hydrogen across long distances. For these various transformation options, EagleBurgmann has many references (over 160 for ammonia and methanol production) and products at our disposal for sealing purposes.