PVD coating service provider Ionbond Netherlands has joined the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance to accelerate the widespread deployment of fuel cell, electrolyser and hydrogen technologies.

Officially launched in July 2020 alongside the unveiling of the EU’s Hydrogen Strategy, the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance is aiming to ambitiously deploy hydrogen technologies across Europe by 2030.

It brings together industry, national and local public authorities, civil society and other stakeholders, and is strongly anchored in the hydrogen value chain, covering renewable and low-carbon hydrogen from production via transmission to mobility, industry, energy, and heating applications.

Ionbond’s expertise is focused on applying protective coatings for PEM fuel cells and electrolysers.

The global hydrogen economy is expanding at a fast pace. To support this expansion, the demand for fuel cells and electrolysers is expanding as well.

In order to gain acceptance, fuel cell stacks need to meet some tough requirements. They need to show stable, reliable performance at high demand levels over time.

In addition to these performance and durability requirements, they need to achieve acceptable price performance levels.

In a number of applications, the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) stacks are moving from graphite towards the use of titanium and stainless steel bipolar plates.

Particularly stainless steel for fuel cells has the right mix of formability, mechanical properties and affordability, Ionbond Netherlands, a member of the IHI Ionbond Group, said.

The tough electrochemical conditions require improved corrosion resistance of the stainless steel, while maintaining a high electrical conductivity.

IHI Ionbond has several coatings in its portfolio to perform that task.