Behaviour of Polymers in High Pressure Environments as Applicable to the Hydrogen Infrastructure

Polymers have played a significant role in the adoption of a multi-materials approach towards the development of solutions for Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs). Even though numerous studies exist with regards to the exposure of polymeric materials to gaseous hydrogen in relation to the hydrogen infrastructure, the behavior of these soft materials under high pressure hydrogen environments has not been fully understood. This limited study involves exposure of common thermoplastic and elastomeric polymers to high pressure hydrogen (70-100 MPa) under static, isothermal, and isobaric conditions followed by characterization of physical properties and mechanical performance. Attempts have been made to explain hydrogen effects on polymer functional properties using polymer structure-property relationships and also to understand role played by additives such as fillers.