At Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung, one focus of our R&D activities has been on hydrogen-influenced corrosion for decades - both under the influence of sour gas and in compressed gaseous hydrogen. Another focus: experimental and computational component analyses considering production, use and stress. This particularly applies to the use of steel pipes in the hydrogen economy, such as transportation pipelines, pipe storage and containers in the infrastructure sector or supply lines and tanks in the mobility sector.
By joining our hydrogen activities in the H2SteeLab project, we are emphasizing our steel expertise in this area. We are currently extending our laboratories with a focus on testing material integrity, steel surfaces and other requirements in the field of compressed gaseous hydrogen gas and other hydrogen storage media.
Our services
Research, analysis, and consulting
For customers and in publicly funded projects our services include research into transportation pipelines, pipe storage, containers, and tanks along the process chain from steel production to the pipe. Furthermore, we identify property-based criteria for standards and specifications and examine products with established and new testing methods.
Qualification of metallic materials for hydrogen applications
Development and optimization of metallic materials, products, and processes along the entire process chain
Technical consulting on materials, design, and standards
Developing solutions together
The BMBF's three hydrogen flagship projects are providing a major push for Germany's entry into the hydrogen economy. We are part of these flagship projects and are engaged in other publicly funded research projects relating to the safe use and development of pipe applications. In standardization, we are driving forward the standardization of tests and the safe qualification of products in the hydrogen economy by contributing our experience to relevant committees. We are involved in associations and cooperations at national and European level for the future hydrogen economy.
Whitepaper: Steel components in the hydrogen economy
The component behavior in hydrogen applications and the occurrence of possible hydrogen embrittlement depend on the properties of the material and the component.
For safe operation, the properties of the materials under the required operating conditions must be known and determined reliably in tests. There are a variety of test methods for evaluating materials and components for hydrogen applications, which either provide specific characteristic values or comparative mechanical tests in hydrogen. Each application places different requirements on the materials. Our H2SteeLab has a large portfolio of testing methods to test materials and components in tests close to operation under hydrogen. We are currently in the construction phase for a new laboratory building, in which our various hydrogen testing techniques will be bundled and expanded to include new testing facilities for fracture mechanics tests under hydrogen.
