H2-compatible sealing solution for application in electrolysis

There is a global competition to achieve a clean energy transition, and green hydrogen, generated through water electrolysis using renewable energy sources, is considered crucial for achieving net-zero emissions. As electrolyzer manufacturers continue to enhance current technologies, explore new ones, and scale up their production capacities to meet the increasing demand, there is a corresponding surge in the demand for electrolyzer components. The sealing of large electrolyzer and fuel cell stacks, which consist of hundreds of individual cells, is essential for ensuring their safe and efficient operation. According to Frank Weber, CEO of EMEA and Asia-Pacific at TEADIT, a 5 MW alkaline electrolyzer typically requires approximately 500 seals. These seals can be quite large, measuring up to 1.6 meters in diameter, and are needed in significant quantities. As future electrolyzer plants are expected to have capacities measured in gigawatts, each gigawatt of capacity could necessitate around 100,000 seals. This presents a tremendous opportunity for companies like TEADIT to contribute to the global scale-up of green hydrogen production. PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) has emerged as a popular material choice for gaskets used in electrolysers due to its excellent sealing properties. While electrolysers have been used in various industries for decades, previous seals often incorporated asbestos coated with PTFE. However, in modern applications, asbestos is no longer used, and gaskets made entirely of PTFE have become the standard alternative.