Whether you operate in deep oil wells, fly at 40 000 ft, or manufacture semiconductors at nanometer scales, you need materials and solutions that stand up to the world’s most demanding environments. Greene Tweed has been meeting that need since 1863 through innovations—from manufacturing buggy whips to creating industry-leading sealing and composite components.
Today, as the global transition to clean energy accelerates, Greene Tweed’s engineers are developing and testing advanced materials to overcome the challenges faced by companies pursuing sustainability goals. This article will focus on four key areas where innovation in material science is driving progress:
1. Hydrogen systems: meeting the demands of a fast-growing sector
Greene Tweed works closely with hydrogen innovators worldwide to address the significant challenges of hydrogen applications.
- Low-temperature RGD resistance
High-pressure gaseous hydrogen systems face risks like rapid gas decompression (RGD), which can damage materials. Greene Tweed’s elastomers, including Fusion® 938 (FKM) and Chemraz® 678 (FFKM), are engineered to resist extreme RGD scenarios, ensuring resilience under hydrogen-rich conditions.
- Cryogenic sealing for liquid hydrogen
Liquid hydrogen’s cryogenic temperatures make many materials brittle. Utilising Metal Spring Energised (MSE) seals, Greene Tweed creates robust systems designed for minimal hydrogen diffusion and corrosion, leveraging expertise from cryogenic sealing in semiconductor applications.
- High-pressure, high-temperature (HPHT) relief valves
Greene Tweed’s Arlon® 3000XT, a cross-linked PEEK polymer, delivers exceptional creep resistance and long-term reliability in HPHT conditions, outperforming traditional filled PEEK materials. For even greater mechanical performance, Arlon® 3160XT provides superior durability, ideal for high-pressure hydrogen systems.
- Wear and friction solutions
Wear caused by hydrogen’s low lubricity increases costs and shortens component life. Greene Tweed’s advanced materials like Arlon® 3000XT offer exceptional wear resistance, extending the lifecycle of components in hydrogen applications such as pipeline fittings and hydrogen-powered vehicles.
- Hydrogen compression innovation
Greene Tweed’s groundbreaking composite impeller technology exceeds tip speeds of 600 m/s for centrifugal compressors, ensuring safe, efficient hydrogen compression.
2. Carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS): withstanding harsh chemicals
CCUS systems play an essential role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions but demand robust materials to handle extreme conditions.
Amine-based solvents, used to capture CO2 and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), are corrosive, often causing equipment failures. Greene Tweed’s Chemraz® 541 perfluoroelastomer resists swelling in amines, maintaining integrity and reducing costly shutdowns. For HPHT environments, Greene Tweed’s Arlon® 3000XT thermoplastic provides superior chemical resistance and thermal stability, ensuring reliable performance in CCUS systems.
3. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF): validating compatibility
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are key to reducing aviation’s carbon footprint. Greene Tweed rigorously tests its materials to ensure compatibility with SAF and its operational demands.
Fusion® FKM elastomers (e.g., 731, 772, 665) exhibit excellent chemical and thermal stability with SAF and its blends. These materials maintain integrity under extreme conditions, ensuring optimised performance across the fuel system. While Fluorosilicone FVMQ 409 may require application-specific testing, Greene Tweed’s FKM compounds deliver reliable results to meet stringent SAF demands.
4. Energy storage and battery systems: enhancing performance and lifecycle
Energy storage, particularly batteries, is critical for clean energy infrastructure. Addressing challenges like leakages, corrosive environments, and thermal runaway is essential for effective battery performance and safety.
Greene Tweed’s Arlon® 3160XT material offers enhanced thermal performance for battery enclosures, while composite materials like WR® 600 and XR®-1 provide excellent chemical resistance in corrosive recycling processes. These solutions support the entire battery lifecycle, improving sustainability and reliability.
Partner with Greene Tweed to solve your toughest challenges
Creating a sustainable future requires innovation and collaboration. Greene Tweed is committed to being your partner in navigating the toughest industrial challenges. From hydrogen to carbon capture, aviation to batteries, our advanced materials and solutions optimise performance in extreme environments.
Contact Greene Tweed today to explore how the company can support your clean energy projects and help build a greener future.