Hydrogen storage innovation from pressure vessels to cryogenics

With production growing and applications expanding, the hydrogen sector needs materials innovation more than ever. Composites are redefining pressure vessels, unlocking manufacturing efficiencies and addressing critical challenges like recycling and lifecycle costs. Marcus Walls-Bruck, Head of hydrogen technologies, National Composites Centre (NCC), UK, tells us about it.

As the hydrogen economy moves from bold ambition to tangible reality, the challenge is clear: we need materials that can handle extreme conditions while remaining cost-effective and scalable. NCC is transforming cutting-edge research and technology into industrial impact through advanced material solutions such as composites that are proving indispensable for storage and distribution. While existing pressure vessels are already showing strong commercial potential, there is still plenty of scope for innovation — be it addressing challenges on reducing weight, cutting costs or better end-of-life recycling. The global hydrogen sector produced around 97 million tonnes in 2024, but nearly all of this was ‘grey’ hydrogen. As the shift towards clean hydrogen accelerates — unlocking new applications in heavy industry, transport and dispatchable power — composite materials are emerging as a key enabler, creating fresh opportunities across the supply chain.

Current pressure vessel technology

Composite pressure vessels are now the cornerstone of hydrogen storage, and for good reason. Compared to metallic options, composites’ superior gravimetric efficiency gives the material a major edge for mobile applications. Operating at 700 bar and beyond, today’s composite tanks can withstand extreme structural loads without losing their lightweight advantage. They are used across diverse sectors — from tube trailers and off-highway vehicles to marine settings and pioneering hydrogen-electric flights like those from ZeroAvia. Rising production volumesreflect this growing confidence and manufacturers now turn out hundreds of thousands of vessels each year. However, this is still a nascent market with suppliers building capacity now to meet future demand, which is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Innovation opportunities in existing technologies

Commercial success aside, there is still plenty of room for improvement across various areas:

• Weight reduction: this remains vital, and the challenge lies in optimising material laminate design by understanding how different components interact to achieve the right balance between weight, performance and safety.
• Advanced health monitoring: digital-enabled tools that can detect damage in real time may unlock leaner designs with lower material use and could even reduce safety factors by actively tracking the condition of vessels.
• Manufacturing optimisation: even small defects can jeopardise high-pressure performance. More repeatable, defect-resistant processes will boost reliability and cut costs.
• End-of-life solutions: this is a major challenge. Carbon fibre is energy intensive to make and disposal is difficult. As a national innovation organisation solving industry’s biggest challenges, NCC is already leading work on continuous fibre recovery and exploring routes to viable, commercial-scale recycling (Figure 2).
• Cost reduction: pressure vessels represent a large slice of overall system cost, so reducing costs increases their economic viability. Innovation across the entire product lifecycle – materials, manufacturing, usage and recycling – is essential to achieve this.

#composites #HydrogenStorage #cryogenics

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Dear friends!

The 18th international exhibition "Composite-Expo 2026" opens in Moscow the day after tomorrow!

Over 160 exhibitors from Russia, Belarus, China, Turkey, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will be located in Hall 13 of Pavilion 3 at the Crocus Expo IEC.

Three days of active networking at the exhibition stands and business program events await.

🕒 Exhibition Hours:
April 22nd and 23rd: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
April 24th: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

🔸 Get a free invitation

🔸 Exhibition Venue

Some of the exhibitors: Aviation Paints and Varnishes Technologies, ACME RUS, Akrid, Vist Composite, VitaReaktiv, BasalTech, BMP Technology, Volna, Glasstex, Dugalak, Eurokhim-1 Functional Additives, Yeyskpolymer, ETS SP, ITEKMA, Carbon Studio, Carbonim, Composite-Products, Composite-Trade, M-Carbo, MegaPlast, Neva Technology, Niagara, Peleng, Polimerprom, Polotsk-Steklovolokno, Robiline, Rusatom Steklovolokno JSC, Sibur Tatneft-Presscomposit, F2 Innovations, KhimSnab Composite, Shelanger Chemical Plant Sayver, Epital ENPC, Umatex JSC, and many others.

🔸 Exhibitors Catalogue

🔸 Exhibition Floor Plan

As part of the exhibition's business program:

A specialized speaker session "Application of Polymer Materials and Advanced Technologies in the Oil and Gas Industry: Challenges, Priorities, and Rulemaking" will be held on April 22. Venue: Crocus Expo IEC, Pavilion 3, Hall 13, Conference Area, Booth C07. Organizers: ANO "Institute of Oil and Gas Technological Initiatives," Tatneft-Presscomposit LLC. The conference starts at 10:00 AM.

The Seventh Scientific and Practical Conference "Practical Aspects of Composite Materials Application in Various Industries" will be held on April 23. Venue: Crocus Expo IEC, Pavilion 3, Hall 13, Conference Area, Stand C07. Organizers: Mir-Expo Exhibition Company, Mir Kompozitov Publishing House. Opening hours: 12:40 p.m.

🔸 Business Program Events

The 17th International Specialized Exhibition POLYURETHANEX 2026 will be held in conjunction with COMPOSITE-EXPO from April 22 to 24 in Pavilion 3, Hall 13, Crocus Expo IEC.

We look forward to seeing you at the exhibitions and business program events!

#CompositeExpo2026 #CompositeExpo #CompositeExpoExhibition #composites #compositematerials

Plan your exhibiting at the COMPOSITE-EXPO 2027

Don't miss your chance to book your participation in the 19th International Specialized Exhibition on Composite Materials, Composite-Expo 2027. The event will take place on March 16-18, 2027, at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Center.

Now you have the opportunity to choose the best location for your booth at the 2027 exhibition, as well as to become a speaker at our business program events.

Apply to attend the exhibition.

Please contact us if you would like to give a presentation as a part of the business program - info@composite-expo.com

See you on March 16-18, 2027 in Moscow!

Report on Visiting the SAMPE China 2026 Conference and Exhibition in China

V.A. Bannikov, General Director of the Mir-Expo Exhibition Company and member of the Presidium of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs, participated in the SAMPE 2026 international forum in Beijing at the invitation of his Chinese partners.

The forum was held from June 9-12, 2026, at the CIEC International Exhibition Center.

The event, organized by the SAMPE regional office in China, showcases the achievements of Chinese and international companies and research organizations in the creation and development of innovative engineering solutions using new materials: composites, polyurethanes, and others.

The forum includes a large-scale conference with presentations by Chinese and international scientists and specialists in various fields of scientific research and the creation of new materials, as well as a large exhibition display showcasing their practical application in innovative products and technical solutions.

The conference featured 347 speakers. A total of 805 people attended the conference.

The exhibition featured 370 exhibitors from 9 countries, covering an area of 10,500 square meters.

Over 2,000 scientists and specialists attended the forum and exhibition.

Six Russian participants participated in the conference, and 13 specialists from Russia visited the exhibition.

During the discussion of possible collaboration between SAMPE China and the Composite-Expo. Polyurethanex exhibition, held annually in Moscow, the parties noted the importance and potential of cooperation between the organizers of SAMPE and Composite-Expo. Polyurethanex to promote the exchange of scientific research results and their practical application in engineering between Chinese and Russian scientists and specialists, as well as representatives from other countries.

The Russian and Chinese parties agreed on areas for further cooperation through involvement in SAMPE and Composite-Expo. The Polyurethanex exhibition will bring together Russian and Chinese scientists and specialists, facilitate the exchange of collective exhibits at upcoming exhibitions in China and Russia, and foster information partnerships to promote innovative technologies for the application of new materials in engineering practice.

The next Composite-Expo and Polyurethanex exhibitions will be held March 16-18, 2027, at the Crocus Expo IEC in Moscow. The SAMPE forum will be held June 1-4, 2027, at the CIEC in Beijing.

Detailed information on participation is available at https://www.composite-expo.com/, https://www.polyurethanex.com/, and https://www.sampe.org.cn/

Aerospace and defence: Toray launches fast-curing variant of 3960 prepreg system

Toray Composite Materials America has announced the launch of the 3960-FC, a fast-curing variant of the 3960 prepreg system, renowned for its high performance and strength, designed for critical aerospace and defence applications.

Toray Composite Materials America (TCMA), which manufactures and supplies the proprietary Torayca carbon fibre as well as state-of-the-art thermoset prepreg materials, has launched the 3960-FC, a prepreg system developed to help original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their supply chains meet the growing demands for production rates in next-generation single-aisle commercial aircraft programmes, advanced air mobility platforms and new mission-critical defence systems produced in series.

“Increased pressure is being placed on material suppliers to provide a structural material solution with production rates now higher than what manufacturers have historically supported,” said Jeff Cross, principal director of defence programmes. “3960-FC accelerates manufacturing cycles while maintaining the mechanical and structural performance customers expect from our premier product, the 3960 prepreg system, by demonstrating equivalence with the material data in the 3960 NCAMP database.”

The 3960-FC offers proven mechanical properties equivalent to those listed in the NCAMP database for the 3960: high toughness, performance at high temperatures and in humid environments, tensile strength, stiffness and damage tolerance. Furthermore, it is fully compatible with a wide range of automated manufacturing technologies, including automated fibre placement (AFP) and automated tape laying (ATL), as well as traditional processing methods. Furthermore, 3960-FC allows the use of lower-temperature moulds, thereby reducing tooling costs while expanding the processing margins for vacuum bag-only (VBO) applications. 3960-FC also enables compression moulding, helping customers to further reduce cycle times and lower manufacturing costs. Unlike many accelerated-cure epoxy systems, the 3960-FC presents a low risk of exothermic reactions in thick sections. Compared with autoclave curing of the 3960, the 3960-FC reduces curing time by up to 45 per cent.

The 3960-FC is primarily intended for primary aircraft structures, medium to large drones, launch vehicles and rockets, as well as rotary-wing aircraft structures.

#composites #Toray #CarbonFibre

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Sabic launches carbon fibre-reinforced compound with 75% recycled material

Sabic, a global petrochemicals manufacturer based in Saudi Arabia, has launched its first carbon fibre-reinforced compound containing post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials. The company’s new LNP ELCRIN DC0051RC1 compound, formulated using polycarbonate resin, contains 75% PCR.

The Saudi petrochemicals manufacturer Sabic has launched its new LNP Elcrin DC0051RC1 compound, available worldwide, which contains 75% post-consumer recycled materials (PCR). This is Sabic’s first PCR-based carbon fibre-reinforced compound. The company has developed a new formulation designed to enhance the product’s circularity while offering high-performance mechanical and flame-retardant (FR) properties, without containing chlorine or bromine. Formulated from polycarbonate resin, the LNP Elcrin DC0051RC1 compound offers high dimensional stability, a high modulus and UL94 V0 flame retardancy for thin walls of 0.8 mm, making it suitable for consumer electronics housings. Furthermore, it is lightweight and exhibits low warpage, making it equally suitable for large structural components.

“Sabic supports customers by developing new materials that enhance circularity,” said Sergi Monros, vice president, Sabic’s Specialties BU. “But we do more than incorporate recycled, upcycled or bio-based content in our specialty thermoplastics. Our formulation experts also achieve high levels of performance, aesthetics and processability. For instance, our new LNP Elcrin compound combines a high percentage of recycled content with many desirable properties. We’re committed to helping customers improve circularity without sacrificing quality.”

#composites #Sabic #CarbonFibreReinforcedCompound

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The COMPOSITE-EXPO 2027 exhibition continues to take shape

To date, the majority of companies in the composites industry have confirmed their participation and are ready to showcase their materials, equipment, and new developments at the upcoming exhibition.

Among them are companies such as AKPA Organic, BMP Technology, Glasstex, ETS Group, Carbon Studio, Kompozit-Izdeliya, ITEKMA, the Kurchatov Institute (NRC), FSUE CRISM Prometey, MegaPlast, Neva Technology, NIAGARA, Nortex, Polotsk-Steklovolokno, ROSATOM, RusChemicals Group, Saiver (Shelangery Chemical Plant), SIBUR, Tatneft-Presskompozit, Techno-Kompozit, Hiprodukt, EPITAL (Scientific and Production Center), and many others.

You can book a stand at the 19th International Specialized Exhibition for Composite Materials, Composite-Expo 2027, by submitting an application to participate.

The event will take place in Moscow on March 16–18, 2027, at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Center, Pavilion 1, Halls 1 and 4.