An Ageing Test Standards Analysis on Thermoplastic Liners of Type IV Composite Hydrogen Storage Tanks

Abstract

The liner of a carbon fiber fully reinforced composite tank with thermoplastic liner (type IV) works in a hydrogen environment with varying temperature and pressure profiles. The ageing performance of the thermoplastic liner may affect hydrogen permeability and the consequent storage capacity, degrade the mechanical properties, and even increase the leakage risks of type IV tanks. In this paper, both testing procedures and evaluation parameters of an ageing test in a hydrogen environment required in several standards are compared and analyzed. Hydrogen static exposure in a high-temperature condition with a constant temperature and pressure is suggested to be a reasonable way to accelerate the ageing reaction of thermoplastic materials. A total of 192 h is considered a superior ageing test duration to balance the test economy and safety. The ageing test temperature in the high-temperature condition is suggested as no lower than 85 °C, while the upper limit of test pressure is suggested to be 1.25 NWP. In addition, the hydrogen permeation coefficient and mechanical properties are recognized as important parameters in ageing performance evaluation. Considering the actual service conditions, the influence of temperature/pressure cycling, depressurization rate, and humidity on the ageing performance of thermoplastics in hydrogen are advised to be investigated experimentally.