The application of titanium-based plates and foils in the hydrogen energy industry

During the process of the hydrogen energy industry's transformation towards large-scale and high-performance, the compatibility of the material system directly determines the operational efficiency of core equipment and the progress of industrial implementation. Titanium and titanium alloys have gradually replaced traditional metal materials due to their excellent corrosion resistance, high specific strength, and outstanding environmental stability, becoming key supporting materials for core links such as hydrogen production, storage and transportation, and end-use applications. The differentiated applications of different forms of these products constitute an important part of the hydrogen energy equipment material system.

In the hydrogen production process, proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis for hydrogen production serves as the core pathway for green hydrogen. It imposes strict requirements on the material properties of its core components. The bipolar plates, flow field plates, and current collection structures within such equipment need to withstand long-term erosion by strong acidic electrolyte, the effect of electrolytic potential, and continuous operating loads. The stability of their performance directly affects the energy conversion efficiency and service life of the electrolyzer stack. Research indicates that traditional stainless steel materials are prone to local corrosion and structural failure under this condition. Nickel-based alloys, due to their limited adaptability, are only suitable for alkaline electrolysis systems and cannot meet the technical requirements of PEM electrolyzers. In this context, first and second grade industrial pure titanium sheets, with their excellent acid resistance, forming processability, and cost-effectiveness, have become the preferred material for the core components of PEM electrolyzers. The degree of application standardization has continued to increase.

Apart from the core structure of the PEM electrolyzer, titanium plates are also applied specifically in the high-corrosion-risk sections of hydrogen production plants. For instance, acidic medium transportation pipelines, efficient heat exchange equipment, reaction vessel linings, and raw material pre-treatment devices all rely on the long-term corrosion resistance of the material to ensure operational safety. Although the single-unit equipment usage of titanium plates in such scenarios is relatively low, from a full life cycle perspective, their corrosion resistance properties can effectively reduce the frequency of equipment maintenance, extend the service life, significantly lower operation and maintenance costs, and highlight their high value-added application potential, providing a reliable guarantee for the continuous and stable operation of the hydrogen production process.

Compared with the large-scale application of titanium plates, titanium foil (with a thickness of ≤ 0.1mm) has become a core material for promoting the high-performance of hydrogen energy equipment due to its ultra-thin characteristics and advantages in precise processing. Its application scenarios are mainly concentrated in advanced PEM electrolyzers and high-end proton exchange membrane fuel cells. In the lightweight design of high-power density PEM electrolyzers, after being processed by precise stamping, chemical etching or laser etching, titanium foil can be formed into micro-channel flow field plates and thin bipolar plates. This not only effectively reduces the overall volume of the electrolyzer stack, increases the specific power density, but also reduces material consumption and achieves a balance between equipment lightweighting and economy. In addition, by depositing noble metal catalytic coatings such as Pt and Ir on the surface of titanium foil, its electrochemical activity and conductivity can be further optimized, meeting the kinetic requirements of electrode reactions.

In the field of high-end proton exchange membrane fuel cells, the application of titanium foil is currently mainly concentrated in high-end scenarios such as aerospace and special equipment, as well as in frontier research fields. Due to its lightweight, corrosion resistance, and excellent electrical and thermal conductivity properties, titanium foil can be used to manufacture key components such as fuel cell bipolar plates, porous transport layers (PTL), and diffusion structures, which can meet the core requirements of high-end equipment for reliability and long lifespan. From the perspective of market demand, the current usage of titanium foil in the fuel cell field is still lower than that in PEM electrolyzers. However, as fuel cell technology upgrades towards higher power and longer lifespan, and as special application scenarios continue to expand, the market potential of titanium foil will gradually be released, becoming an important material support for driving technological breakthroughs in the fuel cell industry.

From the perspective of industrial application patterns, titanium plates and titanium foils exhibit a differentiated complementary and collaborative enabling development trend in the hydrogen energy industry chain. Titanium plates focus on large-scale application scenarios, undertaking the functions of bearing and protection for core structural components, and their market demand has steadily increased along with the expansion of the PEM electrolysis hydrogen production industry; titanium foils, on the other hand, focus on the research and development of high-performance equipment, promoting the upgrading of hydrogen energy equipment towards higher efficiency and compactness through refined material application. The collaborative application of the two not only improves the material system of hydrogen energy equipment, but also establishes titanium materials as the core position in the hydrogen energy industry, providing an important material guarantee for the commercialization of hydrogen technology and the high-quality development of the industry.

Chinese Manufacturer - Fortu Tech supplies titanium foil to multiple countries and regions around the world. Its service coverage includes the United States, Canada, Russia, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Sweden, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic, Poland, Japan, South Korea, as well as Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and other places in Latin America.

Fortu Tech in China can produce and process titanium wire, titanium ingot, titanium sheet, titanium plate, titanium rod, titanium tubes, titanium Capillary Tube, titanium billet.

If you have any questions or need quote, price, please send email to info@fortu-tech.com.