Analyses of permeation characteristics of hydrogen in nitrile butadiene rubber using gas chromatography

Permeation of hydrogen gas (H2) into nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR), which is one of the strong candidates for sealing material in H2 energy infrastructures, was quantified using a gas chromatography (GC) and a selfdeveloped diffusion-analysis program. NBR samples were charged with H2 in a high-pressure chamber for 24 h then decompressed into atmosphere, and the mass of H2 released from the sample was measured as a function of elapsed time after decompression. The developed program calculated the total charging amount C0 and diffusivity D, which were then used to calculate the H2 solubility S and permeability P for variation of pressure. The samples were polymerized with and without carbon black (CB) filler in cylindrical shapes with different diameters. It appeared that the filler contributes to increase S and decrease D. The uncertainty analysis against the evaluated data was carried out, too, in order that the method could be applicable as a standard test for the permeation properties of various polymer membranes.

Automated summary

This study quantified the permeation of hydrogen gas into NBR, a potential sealing material for H2 energy infrastructures, using GC and a diffusion-analysis program. The presence of filler was found to affect the hydrogen solubility and permeability of NBR.