Hyosung TNC has succeeded in developing and using nylon for the liner material of hydrogen vehicle fuel tanks with its own technology – a first for South Korea.

The liner is a core component required to store hydrogen in the fuel tank’s internal container and prevent leakage.

Hyosung TNC’s nylon material is superior to conventional metal and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner materials in terms of its light weight, gas barrier and excellent impact resistance against temperature fluctuation. The new nylon liner material is 70% lighter than metal and 50% lighter than HDPE and its gas barrier is also 30% higher than metal and 50% higher than HDPE.

Metal liners are  heavy and have a high risk of brittleness when exposed to hydrogen for a long period of time. HDPE liners are used as high-pressure containers at 400bar levels, but cannot withstand the 700bar pressure required by typical hydrogen electric vehicles.

In addition, the hydrogen container liner must be able to withstand rapidly changing temperature fluctuations caused by the frequent charging and discharging of hydrogen and the nylon liner has excellent impact resistance against it –from -40 to 85°C.

According to H2 Research, the global hydrogen vehicle market will grow to 1.05 million units by 2025 and the import substitution effect of the nylon material liner market is expected to grow to a value of about 270 billion won annually in 2030.

Hyosung has built the leading hydrogen value chain in Korea, including the construction of liquefied hydrogen plants and liquefied hydrogen filling stations that will change the map of the hydrogen economy, as well as the production of carbon fibre, which is essential for fuel tanks for hydrogen vehicles.

Hyosung TNC’s nylon-applied hydrogen container passed the hydrogen container international quality standard (UN/ECE R134) in June, and it is also planned to conduct commercial tests in cooperation with hydrogen fuel tank manufacturers and automakers.

“Hyosung TNC’s development of nylon liner material demonstrates that even in the textile industry, which has been regarded as a declining industry, the innovation that transforms it into a key material for the high-tech hydrogen industry can happen if it’s supported by technology,” said the company’s chairman Cho Hyun-Joon

www.hyosung.com