Krytox™ Lubricants - Hydrogen Safe

Emerging Clean Hydrogen Markets

The world is quickly shifting towards renewable energy and reduced emissions wherever possible. The rise in solar production and electric vehicles (EVs) displacing internal combustion engines (ICEs) is a prime example of this shift towards high-impact solutions in the battle against global warming and carbon dioxide.
 
Hydrogen processing or hydrogen fuel production is one of the most exciting rising markets. It is fueled by recent legislative initiatives, pumping $7 billion into new hydrogen hub facilities and establishing a goal of 10 million metric tons of hydrogen fuel by 2030*. These large-scale hydrogen production facilities will be highly complex and require high-performance oil and grease lubrication. 

Outlining Hydrogen Safe Lubricants

Hydrogen-safe lubricants must be purposely formulated to withstand the challenges in hydrogen-rich settings. Industries that utilize clean hydrogen as a fuel source or in their manufacturing processes find these lubricants critical to their operations and cannot function properly with other lubricants.

Hydrogen is a highly reactive gas, prone to ignition or explosion when it interacts with certain materials. Regular or general lubricants could pose a serious safety risk in hydrogen-rich environments due to their potential reactivity with the gas and inherent flammability concerns. Hydrogen-safe lubricants are specifically designed to mitigate such risks; they offer low flammability and high chemical stability, making them suitable for use in hydrogen applications.

Aside from enhancing safety, hydrogen-safe lubricants also improve equipment performance and longevity. They can withstand the harsh conditions in hydrogen-rich environments, offer excellent thermal stability and oxidation resistance, and help reduce the frequency of lubricant changes, thus saving costs.

Hydrogen Safe Lubricants

Hydrogen-safe lubricants can be used across a wide range of applications, including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, hydrogen production and storage, and hydrogen-powered industrial equipment.

Krytox™ PFPE Lubricants 

The Krytox™ portfolio of greases and oils are ideal solutions for hydrogen-safe lubrication. These performance lubricants are formulated with a synthetic perfluoropolyether fluid (PFPE fluid), and the greases contain polytetrafluoroethylene thickeners (PTFE thickeners) for enhanced chemical and thermal stability.

Due to the chemical structure of the base oil, these lubricants are completely nonflammable, resulting in a safe operation at extremely low and high temperatures. The Krytox™ formulation also provides an entirely inert or chemically nonreactive solution, meaning it is an ideal product for applications with highly reactive or harsh chemicals, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and chlorine.

Krytox™ PFPE greases and oils also deliver exceptional compatibility with many common elastomers, polymers, and O-ring materials. They are versatile lubricants for a wide range of niche and specialty applications and long-lasting performance. 

Krytox™ Performance Properties 

There is a wide selection to choose from within the Krytox™ portfolio of PFPE oils and greases. With varying viscosity levels and various performance additives, there is a tailored lubricant solution for nearly every application.