• SABIC’s ULTEM? resin is supporting adoption of zero-carbon hydrogen by enhancing the performance and reliability of proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) solutions.
• China’s FE Tooling, a longstanding SABIC customer and a leading manufacturer of PEMWE applications, is using ULTEM resin for injection-molded bipolar frames and insulation boards.

• ULTEM resin can help enable equipment reliability, achieve thin-wall and high-pressure designs, and reduce system costs.

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SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, announced today that FE Tooling selected ULTEM? resin to manufacture structural components used in PEMWE applications. The Chinese manufacturer chose ULTEM resin for the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) support film, bipolar plate frames and insulation boards because of its excellent properties, such as compressive strength, creep resistance, high modulus, hydro-stability in acids and low ion leaching. ULTEM resin can facilitate assembly and help enable reliable and safe long-term operation of the PEMWE system.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis is a promising technique for efficiently producing high-purity hydrogen. ULTEM resin can help propel the adoption of hydrogen as a zero-carbon fuel and enhance PEMWE performance and extend their lifespan.

“Our success using ULTEM resin for PEMWE components is just the latest achievement in a decade of collaboration with SABIC,” said Mr. Bao Shiyou, chief executive officer, FE Tooling. “This specialty material delivers high performance in multiple areas, from dimensional stability to hydrolysis resistance, which adds value to the PEMWE process. SABIC’s technology expertise and new product development efforts in the PEMWE space are invaluable to our company and to the advancement of clean energy technologies.”

“Hydrogen can replace fossil fuels to advance decarbonization efforts and contribute to energy security,” said Maureen MacDonald-Stein, director, Global Portfolio Strategy & Marketing, SABIC Specialties. “ULTEM resins can play an important role in broader adoption of PEMWE solutions, which in turn can help drive the shift to hydrogen-based transportation, heating and power generation. Our work with FE Tooling on PEMWE components demonstrates SABIC’s commitment to advancing cleaner, more-sustainable energy sources.”

Better PEMWE Performance, Longer Life

For PEMWE components, ULTEM resin can deliver excellent creep resistance for good sealing performance to support long-term hermetic closure that prevents leakage. This specialty polyetherimide (PEI) material can also provide high hydrolysis resistance to minimize failure over time, and very low leaching of ionic contaminants to help extend the useful life of the membrane.

ULTEM resin can be used to increase design freedom, cut weight and avoid costly secondary operations via injection molding compared to other material solutions. Compared with polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polysulfone (PSU) and polyethersulfone (PES) materials, ULTEM resin delivers higher modulus (e.g., tensile modulus of 3,200 Mpa, flexural modulus of 3,300 Mpa) and compressive strength, and better creep and fatigue resistance. All these potential benefits can help PEMWE manufacturers accelerate assembly and improve operational reliability over the long term.