Hydrogen

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BOC can supply hydrogen:

• In a full range of purities.
• In any quantity required.
• As either compressed gas, or liquefied gas.
• In over 30 countries.

Our hydrogen products include:

• Pure Hydrogen.
• Ultra High Purity Hydrogen (UHP).
• Hydrogen mixtures.

We have specialist hydrogen grades for use in:

• Electronics.
• Industrial applications.
• Food.

We also provide safety training related to the use of hydrogen – either a generic course or tailored to your needs.

Supply options

Call Us or Email Us  for advice on the most cost effective supply option to meet your needs, these include:

• Compressed hydrogen – gas cylinders for convenience and portability.
• Bulk hydrogen – large quantities of gaseous hydrogen delivered by specialist trailers or tube trailers for high volume applications.
• On-site hydrogen generation and pipelines – for secure cost-effective supply.

Processes that use hydrogen

We have a supply package suited to every process. Call Us or Email Us for details.

Hydrogen is renewable, abundant, efficient, and unlike other alternative fuels, produces zero emissions because it combusts to produce only water. It has enormous potential as a:

• Fuel gas – BOC sponsors development projects and is actively involved in the practical application of hydrogen as an alternative fuel. We are developing supply packages for fuel cell applications and have designed storage systems for hydrogen fuel cell powered cars. To find out more visit http://www.fuelcellmarkets.com.

Hydrogen is the feedstock and raw material for:

• Hydrogenation – a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is used for the large-scale production of methanol, ammonia and oxo-products like higher alcohols and aldehydes.

Hydrogen has the highest thermal conductivity of all elements. This characteristic makes it an important gas for:

• Cooling – to optimise heat transfer and cooling of power generators and water systems in nuclear reactors.

Hydrogen is also highly diffusive through many materials including some metals, and this forms the basis of some hydrogen purification processes.

Industries that use hydrogen

We supply hydrogen for these processes to a wide range of industries including:

• Food and Beverages – to hydrogenate edible liquid fats and oils into margarine and other semi-solid products.
• Chemicals – to hydrogenate non-edible oils for soap, creams, plastic and other chemical processes and for the production of bulk, intermediates and speciality chemicals.
• Pharmaceutical – to produce pharma intermediates.
• Electronics  – to enhance heat transfer, used as ultra high purity (UHP) for controlled atmospheres in semiconductor manufacturing to increase productivity and protect against impurities.
• Energy – to enhance heat transfer for cooling high speed turbine power generators and nuclear reactors and as a fuel for the growing fuel cell energy generation market.
• Aerospace – as a fuel gas for spacecraft at ignition and to power spacecraft internal systems.
• Iron and Steel and Non-ferrous metals – for quenching and as a protective atmosphere for heat treatment at very high temperature such as in stainless steel manufacturing, also to support plasma welding and cutting.
• Oil and Gas – to remove organic sulphur from crude oil, fuel oil and gasoline to enhance its performance.
• Glass – used with nitrogen to prevent oxidation of molten tin in the float glass lines and improve glass quality.

Safety Information

• Hydrogen is not toxic. It is much lighter than air and therefore dissipates rapidly when released or leaked.
• Hydrogen has a wide range of flammable concentrations in air and a lower ignition energy than natural gas or gasoline.  It can ignite very easily. Therefore, adequate ventilation and leak detection are important elements in the design of safe hydrogen systems.
• Hydrogen burns with an almost invisible flame so flame detectors are required.
• Some metals can become brittle when exposed to hydrogen, so design of safe hydrogen systems should be performed by specialist in the field.

Technical Information