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September 2025
Key Takeaways:
- Safety is non-negotiable in hydrogen systems: With extreme pressures, temperatures, and hydrogen’s unique properties, only validated sealing solutions with ultra-low permeation and proven RGD resistance can guarantee reliability.
- Angst+Pfister delivers hydrogen-ready sealing solutions: Our elastomers (FKM, EPDM, HNBR) and thermoplastics (PTFE, UHMW-PE) are optimized through advanced design methods such as FEA and validated in 100% hydrogen testing up to 1000 bar.
- Trusted results, ready for scale-up: With complete material traceability, external certifications, and local-for-local European manufacturing, Angst+Pfister provides end-to-end support that shortens development cycles and ensures long-term hydrogen safety and compliance.
Imagine a hydrogen storage tank operating at 700 bar. A single leak – barely visible, almost silent – can cause pressure loss, trigger shutdowns, or, in the worst case, ignite. The difference between safety and disaster often comes down to something as small as a fingertip: the seal.
Hydrogen is on track to become the sustainable, clean fuel of tomorrow, powering vehicles, stabilizing renewable energy grids, and decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries. Yet, its promise hinges on something deceptively small: the integrity of the seals that keep hydrogen contained. If safety fails, adoption stalls. Reliable sealing isn’t a footnote. It’s the gatekeeper that determines whether plans move from pilot to production. In hydrogen systems operating from –40 °C to +150 °C and up to 1000 bar, every microleak leads to energy loss, safety risks, and system failure. In addition, the right materials and designs are decisive for progress.
That’s where Angst+Pfister steps in. Our engineered sealing solutions are specifically developed to withstand hydrogen permeation, extreme pressures, temperature cycles, and rapid decompression – delivering confidence in the most demanding hydrogen environments.
The Challenge: Hydrogen Pushes Materials to Their Limits
Sealing in hydrogen systems isn’t routine engineering. Hydrogen is the smallest molecule – and the biggest challenge. Its tiny molecular size allows it to slip through pathways that contain other gases with ease, driving higher permeation rates in elastomers and thermoplastics, stricter leakage thresholds, and a drastically reduced margin for error. Combined with hydrogen’s high flammability in air, even a “small leak” can escalate into ignition, explosions, or force a depressurization that halts operations. The consequences span lives, infrastructure, and reputations.
Applications such as electrolyzers, fuel cells, compressors, and storage tanks must therefore operate safely under extreme conditions:
- Pressures up to 1000 bar
- Wide temperature swings from –40 °C to +150 °C
- No lubrication for dynamic seals
- Extremely low permissible leakage rates
- Exposure to 100% hydrogen atmospheres
- Risks of rapid gas decompression (RGD) and hydrogen embrittlement
Under these demands, conventional elastomers often fail prematurely – through swelling, shrinkage, embrittlement, or microleakage – compromising system integrity, uptime, and safety. The result is clear: only materials with very low permeation and proven RGD resistance can make hydrogen applications both reliable and safe.
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The Solution: Sealing Materials Built for Hydrogen
Meeting hydrogen’s extreme demands starts at the molecular level. Specialized elastomers such as FKM, EPDM, and HNBR, combined with advanced thermoplastics like PTFE and UHMW-PE, are engineered to resist hydrogen diffusion, extrusion, and rapid gas decompression (RGD). But materials alone are not enough: Reliability comes from pairing them with application-specific geometries such as O-Rings, PTFE lip seals, spring-energized profiles, and back-up rings that ensure tight sealing under pressure, minimize extrusion, and perform across wide temperature ranges.
At Angst+Pfister, every solution is validated in 100% hydrogen environments. Our safety-first testing protocols go far beyond spreadsheets and models, subjecting seals to permeation, leakage, aging, durability, and RGD tests under conditions of up to 1000 bar. Dedicated hydrogen laboratories and external certifications provide real-world assurance that conventional designs cannot match.
Our hydrogen sealing portfolio consistently delivers:
- Ultra-low hydrogen permeation rates
- Resistance to explosive decompression (validated to NORSOK M-710 and ISO 23936-2)
- Wide temperature stability for both static and dynamic applications
- High extrusion resistance under demanding pressure cycles
- Optimized geometries for valve seats, housings, connectors, compressors, and fuel cells
By combining engineered materials, tailored designs, and rigorous hydrogen-specific testing, we create sealing solutions that don’t just meet safety standards – they redefine them.
The Result: Validated Performance, Trusted Safety, and Proven Differentiation
Spreadsheets don’t stop leaks – real-world testing does. Our sealing solutions emerge from hydrogen-specific validation with results you can measure: ultra-low permeation, resistance to explosive decompression, and reliable performance under extreme pressures and temperatures. Dedicated in-house hydrogen lab protocols and external certifications turn proof into trust – ensuring safer systems, longer service life, and a clear edge over conventional designs.
Our results speak for themselves. Every seal is developed, tested, and validated both in-house and with external partners, ensuring:
- Complete materials traceability
- Verified test protocols (permeation, leakage, aging, RGD)
- Sealing designs optimized via finite element analysis (FEA)
- Broad materials portfolio matched to each application’s pressure, temperature, and movement profile
- End-to-end support from engineering through logistics
- Local-for-local European manufacturing
Before and After: Engineering for Hydrogen Safety
| Sealing Performance | Before - Standard Elastomers | After - Angst+Pfister Solutions |
|---|---|---|
| Leakage Risk | High, especially at 1000 bar | Minimal, verified in 100% H₂ tests |
| Permeation Rate | Unpredictable, often above threshold | Significantly reduced |
| Decompression Resilience | Prone to blistering or cracking | RGD-resistant, tested to ISO/NORSOK |
| Dynamic Seal Reliability | Frequent wear, especially unlubricated | PTFE + spring designs avoid metal |
| Certification Coverage | Partial or missing | Tested to ISO 23936-2, DVGW ZP 5101, and others |
| Application Compatibility | Limited | Fuel cells, compressors, valves, electrolyzers, H₂ storage, and more |
Use Case: Preventing Failures in Hydrogen Storage Bottles
The challenge: A hydrogen storage equipment manufacturer was experiencing early-stage seal damage in high-pressure tanks, operating at up to 1000 bar. Standard seals showed blistering and leakage after just 10,000 cycles.
Our solution: Angst+Pfister designed a sealing system with:
- Special PTFE lip seals
- PEEK spring energizers
- Corner back-up rings for extrusion resistance
After more than 60,000 test cycles in 100% hydrogen, the system showed zero leakage and no embrittlement – eliminating the need for midlife maintenance.
What Experts Say
“Hydrogen sealing isn’t just about chemical resistance. It’s about controlling diffusion, pressure resilience, and safety margins under extreme conditions. We’ve built a verified sealing material portfolio for this purpose.”
— Lorena Casasola, Material Engineer, Angst+Pfister
“Customers are really impressed that we’ve tested our elastomers in 100% hydrogen at pressure. That’s the level of validation they need to trust a solution for the hydrogen economy.”
— Peter Schäfer, Senior Engineer Leader, Angst+Pfister
Video Q&A
In our latest video Q&A, Emine Sulejmani (Head of Market Unit Fluid Handling Technology) and Joël Dupraz (Product Fluid Application Engineer) discuss how CIP/SIP processes can make or break hose performance in food and beverage production.
From real-life failure examples to expert tips on cleaning protocols, this session offers valuable insights on how to prevent premature wear, ensure compliance, and extend hose service life.
Are you facing frequent hose failures or struggling with CIP/SIP compatibility?
Get in touch with our experts for a free consultation and learn how to future-proof your process.
Conclusion: Verified Sealing Performance for Hydrogen Safety
Hydrogen may be the future – but only with materials that perform today. Angst+Pfister’s sealing solutions meet the growing demands of hydrogen mobility, storage, and infrastructure with a fully tested and verified portfolio of elastomer and thermoplastic materials.
Our sealing technologies are trusted by leading manufacturers across Europe, and we continue to lead in test validation, material science, and industry-specific application support. Our hydrogen sealing portfolio ensures safety, reliability, and performance – validated in real-world conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hydrogen Safety
1. Why is hydrogen more difficult to seal than other gases?
Hydrogen’s small molecular size allows it to permeate standard elastomers, while its explosiveness and pressure demand require extremely resilient materials.
2. Have these materials been tested in real hydrogen?
Yes. Angst+Pfister materials are tested in 100% H₂ under pressure (up to 1000 bar), including leakage, aging, and RGD testing.
3. What types of seals are available?
It depends on the hose material. Angst+Pfister provides chemical compatibility charts for agents such as caustic soda, nitric acid, peracetic acid, phosphoric acid, and steam sterilization — helping you choose the right match.
4. How do sealing solutions reduce the risk of accidents?
By combining validated materials (FKM, EPDM, HNBR, PTFE) with application-specific geometries (PTFE lip, spring-energized, back-ups), seals maintain tightness across temperature and pressure cycles – reducing permeation and leakage
5. Which industries use your hydrogen seals?
Fuel cell vehicles, electrolyzers, gas storage, distribution systems, and high-pressure valve manufacturers.
6. Can I customize seal geometry?
Absolutely. Our application engineers can tailor material and design to your specific system and performance needs.
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