Greene Tweed launches PFAS-free sealing material for hydrogen, CCUS applications

Greene Tweed has introduced a PFAS-free sealing material built for hydrogen and CCUS applications. (Image: Greene Tweed)

Greene Tweed has introduced EPM 893, a PFAS-free ethylene propylene sealing compound developed for hydrogen and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) applications.

The Lansdale, Penn.-based company said the new material combines low-temperature sealing performance, rapid gas decompression resistance and chemical compatibility to address reliability challenges in high-pressure gas systems.

EPM 893 is designed for applications including hydrogen refueling systems, valves, instrumentation, mechanical seals, underground storage facilities, CO₂ compressors, pumps and pipeline infrastructure.

The company said seals used in hydrogen and CCUS operations must withstand high-pressure gas exposure, rapid pressure cycling, aggressive process media and low operating temperatures. These conditions can cause conventional elastomers to crack, blister, lose elasticity or degrade, potentially resulting in leakage and increased maintenance requirements.

EPM 893 was developed to address these challenges while eliminating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a group of chemicals facing increasing regulatory scrutiny.

Designed for high-pressure gas applications

According to Greene Tweed, EPM 893 has demonstrated resistance to rapid gas decompression in hydrogen and supercritical CO₂ environments at pressures up to 200 bar (2,900 psi).

Rapid gas decompression can damage elastomeric seals when gas absorbed under pressure expands during depressurization, causing internal blistering or cracking.

The company said the material has also been tested for compatibility with 100% hydrogen, supercritical CO₂, oxygen service and amine-based carbon capture processes.

Third-party testing was conducted in accordance with ISO 23936-2, ISO 17268/SAE J2600 and NACE TM0192 requirements, according to Greene Tweed.

The compound is available in O-rings, GT Rings and custom-molded configurations for use in compressors, valves, instrumentation, mechanical seals and CO₂ transportation systems.

“Hydrogen and CCUS projects are often evaluated through the lens of megatons and gigawatts, but their success is built on operational discipline: tight systems, low leakage, and equipment that lasts,” said Arturo Flores, product manager, Sealing Systems, at Greene Tweed.

“EPM 893 was developed to reduce the tradeoffs engineers typically face in these environments. It offers a practical path to fewer seal changes, fewer leaks, and the reliability required in applications where failure is not an option.”

Expanding the energy transition portfolio

The introduction expands Greene Tweed’s portfolio of sealing products for hydrogen production, carbon capture, transportation and storage infrastructure.

“Companies building hydrogen and CCUS infrastructure need partners who can grow with them from production and capture through transport and storage,” said Charles Burke, general manager, Sealing Systems and Seal-Connect.

Burke said the new compound reflects the company’s continued investment in sealing technologies intended to serve the full hydrogen and CCUS value chains.

For compressor operators and equipment manufacturers, the material is intended to provide another sealing option for applications involving high-pressure hydrogen and CO₂, particularly where pressure cycling, low temperatures and chemical compatibility are important considerations.