Hydrogen Storage: China’s First Type IV Composite MEGC Debuts in Hebei

Earlier this year, we saw a joint venture led by CIMC-Hexagon Hydrogen Energy Development (Hebei) Co., Ltd. unveil China’s first homegrown 20-foot Type IV Composite Cylinder Multi-Element Gas Container at their sprawling Shijiazhuang plant in Hebei. It’s a big deal—switching from niche imports to domestic mass production of hydrogen storage gear. With national goals locked on carbon peak and neutrality, bolstering our hydrogen infrastructure isn’t just smart, it’s essential.

What’s New? Picture a 20-foot frame loaded with multiple carbon-fiber–wrapped cylinders, each rated for 38 MPa. In a standard 40-foot equivalent unit, you’re looking at over one metric ton of hydrogen—about four times what those old Type I tube trailers could carry. Until now, Chinese operators had to wait months (and shell out big bucks) for imported MEGCs. Localizing production slashes lead times and costs, clearing the way for wide-scale rollout.

Key Specifications

Operating Pressure: 38 MPa with fully composite Type IV cylinders.

Capacity: More than 1 metric ton of hydrogen per 40-foot equivalent container.

Weight Savings: Roughly 40% lighter than Type III designs—hello, better volumetric efficiency.

Payload Advantage: Up to 4× the hydrogen per trip versus Type I tube trailers.

Modularity: Options from 10 to 45 feet, compliant with ADR 6.8 and TPED (2010/35/EU).

Production Scale: Hebei facility is Asia’s largest site for Type IV composite cylinder manufacturing, primed for rapid ramp-up.

Why It Matters Strategically

Cutting procurement time from months to weeks and slashing logistics costs is a game-changer if you’re rolling out regional refueling networks or feeding hydrogen into industrial parks. As sustainable energy gains traction, affordable hydrogen storage and transport become linchpins for decarbonizing steel, chemicals, and heavy haul.

Fewer trips, lighter containers, and higher capacity directly translate to lower emissions compared to diesel haulage—and a stronger business case for hydrogen fuel cells in trucks, ships, and stationary power. In short: better total cost of ownership for big hydrogen users.

Technology Evolution

Hydrogen transport has come a long way. The early Type I steel tubes were heavy and prone to fatigue. Type II and III added a composite wrap around steel or aluminum liners—an improvement, but still heftier than you’d like. Now the fully plastic and carbon-fiber–lined Type IV composite cylinder nails the best strength-to-weight ratio, zero corrosion worries, and a stellar cycle life. That leap is crucial for moving bulk hydrogen cost-effectively.

Joint Venture Dynamics

Hexagon Purus brings six decades of composite storage expertise and validation from over 700 MEGC deployments worldwide. CIMC ENRIC offers end-to-end industrial chain integration in hydrogen equipment and decades of manufacturing scale. Together, they’ve sketched a blueprint for rapid localization—one we’ll likely see replicated in electrolyzer and fuel cell ventures across Asia.

Comparative Context

Sure, pilots in Japan and Europe are testing Type IV trailers and containers. But China’s sheer manufacturing heft, local certification know-how, and cost advantages give it the upper hand. Chinese-made MEGCs can undercut imports on both price and delivery time, positioning domestic suppliers for home-market sales and exports to Southeast Asia.

Industry Implications

With hardware bottlenecks easing, the commercial rollout of hydrogen networks can really take off. Logistics firms tell us imported containers took up to six months to arrive—local production could shrink that to a few weeks. Regulators have flagged hydrogen transport as strategic, and CIMC-Hexagon is already helping shape domestic safety and performance standards.

Economically, the Hebei site will create roles for composite technicians, engineers, and integration specialists. Downstream, it supports growth in refueling stations, fuel cell fleets, and industrial hydrogen users—driving the ecosystem forward.

Environmental & Policy Angle

Hydrogen logistics feature prominently in China’s clean energy roadmap. While precise incentive schemes for MEGCs are still emerging, local governments are backing hydrogen corridor pilots and low-carbon transport demos. By collaborating with regulators, CIMC-Hexagon ensures its containers align with evolving policy frameworks for robust hydrogen infrastructure.

Forward Look

We’ll be watching production ramp rates, export orders, and new high-pressure variants that could extend applications from small on-site storage to ultra-high-pressure long-haul shipments. If volumes climb as planned, expect steeper cost declines for green hydrogen production and stronger incentives for heavy industries to switch fuels.

Bottom line: China’s first domestically produced 20-foot Type IV MEGC isn’t just a container—it’s a cornerstone for a self-sufficient, cost-effective hydrogen storage network. The supply chain’s shorter, delivery’s faster, and the path to decarbonization is clearer than ever.

source : Hydrogen Fuel News

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : PVC Compounding

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

🔧 PVC Compounding: The Real Rheology Challenges Nobody Talks About

Rheology in PVC is far more complex than viscosity curves on a datasheet. Unlike many polymers, PVC does not melt cleanly. Its flow behaviour depends on fusion, lubricant interactions, stabilizer efficiency and how the polymer breaks down under shear and temperature. This makes process control both critical and difficult.

Two compounds with identical formulations can behave very differently in the extruder simply because of particle size distribution, porosity or plasticizer absorption rate. Small changes in shear stress or temperature profile can shift the melt from too elastic to too fragile, affecting die swell, surface finish and dimensional accuracy. The challenge grows when recyclate, fillers or impact modifiers are added, each altering the melt’s elasticity and flow resistance in its own way.

Consistent rheology is what separates a stable production line from one that struggles with pressure fluctuations, chatter marks or unpredictable melt quality. It requires collaboration between resin producers, stabilizer suppliers, compounders and machinery experts to understand how every component influences flow under real processing conditions.

In your experience, which factor affects PVC rheology the most during processing: shear profile, lubrication balance or the presence of recyclate?

source : Orbimind AB

#PVCCompounding #Rheology #Extrusion

Lummus and Sumitomo Chemical Announce Commercial Availability of PMMA Chemical Recycling Technology

Lummus Technology and Sumitomo Chemical today announced the commercial availability of their highly-efficient Polymethyl Methacrylate Chemical Recycling (PMMA-CR) technology. This builds on the strategic partnership between Lummus and Sumitomo Chemical, first announced in May 2024, to co-develop and commercialize technologies that support circularity and carbon-neutral society across the petrochemical value chain.

“By uniting Lummus’ process expertise with Sumitomo Chemical’s materials innovation, we’re delivering a scalable, economically viable PMMA recycling solution,” said Leon de Bruyn, president and chief executive officer, Lummus Technology. “This gives our customers a clear pathway to reduce waste, lower emissions and unlock new value from recycled materials—turning sustainability into a competitive advantage.

We are proud to deliver this innovative PMMA-CR technology to market together with our trusted partner, Lummus Technology.

Since establishing the partnership in 2024, Lummus and Sumitomo Chemical advanced development and commercialization of the PMMA-CR technology, including successful validation at Sumitomo Chemical’s pilot plant in Japan. The technology recycles end‑of‑life PMMA back into high‑purity methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer. Its depolymerization system, developed by The Japan Steel Works, Ltd. and Sumitomo Chemical, produces recycled MMA that matches the quality of fossil‑derived material. The process is also expected to cut life‑cycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 50%*, reducing plastic waste and reliance on fossil‑based feedstocks.

Key Technology Features:

->Highly Efficient PMMA Recycling Process: Converts post-consumer and post-industrial PMMA waste into circular MMA monomer with high yield and high purity.

->Advanced Depolymerization System: Utilizes an efficient system featuring a twin-screw extruder and a heating system for uniform temperature and excellent thermal efficiency with further optimization specifically tailored for PMMA depolymerization.

->Continuous Operation: Self-cleaning extruder system ensures high equipment utilization and simple operability.

->Scalable and Modular: Capacity can be adjusted by duplicating trains; available as modular ISBL packages.

->Circular Integration: Produces recycled MMA monomer equivalent in quality to MMA monomer manufactured from fossil resources, enabling true closed-loop recycling for PMMA applications in automotive, electronics, construction, and more.

With PMMA‑CR technology now available for licensing, Lummus and Sumitomo Chemical are ready to support customers’ transition toward circular PMMA, help improve resource efficiency and reduce environmental impact.

* Sumitomo Chemical’s calculated value based on a life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, in comparison with materials derived from fossil resources.

source : Lummus Technology

DUNLOP Signs MoU with Cabot Corporation to Explore Commercial Adoption of Circular Reinforcing Carbon

DUNLOP has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with #Cabot Corporation to evaluate the commercial adoption of circular reinforcing carbons made with Cabot’s patented regenerated carbon technology. This innovative circular reinforcing carbon powered by Cabot’s EVOLVE Sustainable Solutions incorporates reclaimed carbon derived from the pyrolysis of end-of-life tires and is being considered as a sustainable raw material for Sumitomo Rubber’s tire production.

Cabot’s circular reinforcing carbon leveraging regenerated carbon technology is a new material that Sumitomo Rubber has not previously utilized in tire production. Recognized as a key enabler for reducing carbon emissions for both companies, this material will undergo evaluation for use in mass-produced tires by Sumitomo Rubber. Concurrently, Cabot will focus on scaling regenerated carbon technology to meet anticipated market demand.

"As a brand committed to continuous innovation, #DUNLOP will accelerate its efforts toward the commercialization of circular reinforcing carbon through our collaboration with Cabot," said Takuya Horiguchi, general manager, Material Research & Development Headquarters, Material Department IV, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. "By harnessing and integrating the full breadth of technologies and expertise of both companies, DUNLOP will expedite the path toward mass production and actively contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society.

As a leading producer of reinforcing carbons, enabling sustainability through innovation and collaboration is core to our work. We are committed to investing in technologies that advance the sustainability and performance of our products and their use.

The adoption of sustainable raw materials is part of Sumitomo Rubber’s effort to realize the circular economy concept for its tire business, known as "TOWANOWA". This concept consists of two interconnected rings: the "Sustainable Ring," which covers five processes across the value chain, and the "Data Ring," which integrates big data collected from each process. By sharing and utilizing data between these rings, Sumitomo Rubber aims to deliver new value. Based on this concept, Sumitomo Rubber has been actively promoting the use of sustainable materials and other initiatives to reduce its environmental impact.

Looking ahead, Sumitomo Rubber will continue working towards the realization of "TOWANOWA" by reducing its environmental impact, enhancing tire performance and safety, and expanding solution services. Through these activities, Sumitomo Rubber aims to deliver new value to its end customers to contribute to a sustainable future.

source : Cabot

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : TGA or DSC

 Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

💡 “Most polymer QC decisions miss the hidden threats until your customers notice.”

Quality Control is not just about running instruments; it’s about capturing the right insight at the right time.

In many polymer production lines, over 90% of QC decisions rely solely on TGA. While powerful, this single tool mindset can miss subtle polymer structural changes, which often only appear as customer complaints.

This is where DSC makes the difference. Thermal transitions and structural drifts may leave mass unchanged. TGA stays silent while DSC detects early warning signals long before failures reach the market.

🔍 Choosing the right tool depends on your Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) attributes:

1️⃣ TGA → Mass defines quality

Example: NBR latex QC: Ensuring 45 ± 2 wt% total solids (polymer + stabilizers vs. water) keeps viscosity and film formation consistent in glove-dipping applications.

2️⃣ DSC → Structure defines performance

Example: Pharmaceutical tablets: Detecting polymorphic transitions that alter dissolution rates, even with identical composition.

🌱 For sustainable QC systems:

Budget for both instruments, but use them strategically, one for routine control, the other for verification.

🚀 For organizations pursuing excellence:

Invest in simultaneous TGA-DSC (STA): one experiment, two perfectly correlated datasets, mass change and thermal behavior captured in real time. Not redundancy, it’s insight density.

Quality failures rarely come from what we measured wrong; they come from what we never measured at all.

🧰 What tools are you using in your QC process, and how have they impacted your results❓

Insight credit: Dr. Leila E. Scientist & Researcher | Chemical Process & Technology

source : Peyman Ezzati

SABIC's polycarbonate resin for automotive lighting applications

 With #automotive #lighting components becoming increasingly complex in their design, higher costs can seem unavoidable.

Take the front light bezel shown here. This part with its intricate design might require significant additional investment to produce. However, this part – in production today –benefits from the enhanced flow of LEXAN™ HF4010SR #polycarbonate resin. The high flow property enables molding on an existing press with a reduced clamping force and injection pressure – making it possible to achieve cost targets.

Additional cost savings can be possible – not only by avoiding complex tooling, but also through faster molding, thin-wall design, and part consolidation.

Resins from our high-flow LEXAN series, because it allows for the use of simpler tooling, can also help avoid the appearance of knit lines and other aesthetic issues in the final part.

source : Sabic Solutions for Automotive

Evonik expands global production of hydroxyl‑terminated polybutadienes

Evonik is reinforcing its growth strategy by further strengthening its global production infrastructure for #hydroxylterminatedpolybutadienes (HTPB). This follows significant investments made over the past two years, including the expansion of HTPB production capacity at its Marl site in 2024 and the establishment of a production facility for POLYVEST® ST-E 60 polybutadienes in Shanghai, China, in 2025.

#Evonik is actively taking the next steps to further expand its HTPB production capacities. Construction is now underway to significantly increase output at its existing German site, scheduled to go on stream in the second quarter of 2027. Concurrently in Germany, Evonik has also initiated the engineering phase for a new production facility in the Asian region.

“The location for this new plant has been selected based on the strategic opportunity to leverage synergies with Evonik´s existing assets”, says Dr. Jürgen Herwig, Head of Evonik’s polybutadienes business.

Dr. Anna Maria Ickert, Head of Evonik Coating & Adhesive Resins, adds: “These investments demonstrate the company’s ongoing commitment to meeting the growing global demand by supporting our customers with enhanced reliability and proximity of supply”.

The expansions underline Evonik’s dedication to driving innovation, strengthening its global footprint, and ensuring a reliable supply of high-performance materials for its customers worldwide.

source : Evonik