Hyosung Develops Korea's First Nylon Material for Hydrogen Vehicle Fuel Tank Liners

Lighter Than Metal and Plastic Materials with Excellent Hydrogen Leakage Prevention
Chairman Cho Hyun-joon: "Contributing to the Future Energy Industry with Our Best Textile and Material Technology"

At the H2 MEET hydrogen specialized exhibition held last month at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Hyosung TNC explains the nylon resin liner material for hydrogen vehicle fuel tanks developed with proprietary technology, the first of its kind by a domestic company. Photo by Hyosung TNC

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] Hyosung TNC announced on the 7th that it has succeeded in developing and utilizing nylon for hydrogen car fuel tank liner materials using proprietary technology, becoming the first domestic company to do so. The liner is a key component that serves as the internal container of the fuel tank, storing hydrogen and preventing leaks.

According to Hyosung TNC on the day, its nylon material outperforms existing metal and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner materials in terms of lightness, gas barrier properties, and impact resistance. The nylon liner material developed by Hyosung TNC is 70% lighter than existing metal materials and 50% lighter than HDPE materials, while its gas barrier properties to prevent hydrogen gas leakage are over 30% higher than metal materials and over 50% higher than HDPE materials.

While existing metal liners are heavy and become more brittle when exposed to hydrogen for long periods, nylon liners have low hydrogen absorption and permeability, eliminating brittleness risks. HDPE liners are used for high-pressure vessels around 400 bar but cannot withstand the 700 bar pressure required by typical hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Moreover, hydrogen vessel liners must endure rapid temperature changes caused by frequent hydrogen charging and discharging. Nylon liners exhibit excellent impact resistance across temperature ranges from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 85 degrees Celsius.

This development is significant as it establishes a foundation for Hyosung TNC to be the first domestic company to enter the nylon liner market, which has been monopolized by overseas companies.

According to H2 Research, a specialized hydrogen market research institute, the global hydrogen car market is expected to grow significantly, with restrictions on internal combustion engine truck operations in major European urban areas starting in 2025, and annual hydrogen car production expanding to 1.05 million units by 2030. Consequently, the import substitution effect in the nylon liner market is projected to grow to approximately 270 billion KRW annually by 2030.

As various hydrogen mobility markets expand?including hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, drones, trams, ships, and urban air mobility (UAM)?nylon is expected to gain more attention as a liner material for hydrogen vessels.

Nylon resin for hydrogen car fuel tank liner material developed with proprietary technology by Hyosung TNC, the first domestic company to do so. Photo by Hyosung TNC

This nylon liner material is also expected to contribute to completing Hyosung’s hydrogen value chain. Hyosung has built a hydrogen value chain through ▲the top domestic supply capacity of hydrogen charging stations ▲the establishment of liquefied hydrogen plants and liquefied hydrogen charging stations that will change the hydrogen economy landscape ▲and the production of carbon fiber, an essential material for hydrogen car fuel tanks.

It is significant that Hyosung has secured technological capabilities that can lead the global market in storage and utilization fields as well. Hydrogen vessels applying Hyosung TNC’s nylon passed the international hydrogen vessel quality standard (UN/ECE R134) test in June, confirming their function, quality, and technical completeness as liner materials. Plans are underway to conduct commercial tests in cooperation with hydrogen fuel tank manufacturers and automakers.

Additionally, Hyosung plans to expand the application of nylon as a liner material by broadening the temperature and impact resistance range from minus 60 degrees Celsius to 90 degrees Celsius, covering everything from tube trailers for commercial trucks to CNG and hydrogen ships navigating the world’s oceans, including the Antarctic and the equator.

Since Hyosung TNC developed the world’s first nylon recycled fiber technology using discarded fishing nets from the sea, it plans to apply recycled nylon to liner materials in the future, expanding the eco-friendly plastic material market.

Chairman Cho Hyun-joon said, “The development of nylon liner materials by Hyosung TNC demonstrates that even in the textile industry, which has been regarded as a declining industry, innovation can occur to transform it into a core material of the advanced hydrogen industry if technological capabilities are secured. Hyosung will contribute to the future development of the eco-friendly energy industry with its advanced materials and textile technology accumulated over a long period.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.